Surgery of thyroglossal duct cyst

This study reviewed patients who had undergone surgery for a preoperative diagnosis of thyroglossal duct cyst. A retrospective study of 93 patients with a preoperative diagnosis of thyroglossal duct cyst operated on during a period of 10 years, from 1989 to 1998, at the Department of Surgery, Dr. Soetomo Hospital, Surabaya, is presented. The intraoperative diagnosis was thyroglossal duct cyst in 75 cases (80.64%), chronic nonspecific lymphadenitis in 10 cases (10.75%), branchial cyst in three cases (3.23%), dermoid cyst in two cases (2.15%), atheroma in two cases (2.15%), and nodular goiter in one case (1.07%). Among the patients with thyroglossal duct cyst, there were 47 males (62.67%) and 28 females (37.33%), the mean age of the patients was 24.86 years. All 75 patients with thyroglossal duct cyst underwent a modified Sistrunk's procedure with no evidence of relapse on follow-up from one to nine years after operation. Clinical examination has an accuracy of 80.64% in diagnosing thyroglossal duct cyst. A modified Sistrunk's procedure is considered as the treatment of choice for patients with thyroglossal duct cyst. This operative procedure can prevent long-term recurrence even though many authors suggested that only the standard Sistrunk's procedure can guarantee the lowest rate of failures.