The diagnosis of<unk> s is typically done clinically due to their relatively consistent location in the neck, typically anterior to the sternocleidomastoid muscle. For masses presenting in adulthood, the presumption should be a malignancy until proven otherwise, since carcinomas of the tonsil, tongue base and thyroid may all present as cystic masses of the neck. Unlike a thyroglossal duct cyst, when swallowing, the mass should not move up or down. Types Bilateral<unk><unk>  sinuses during surgery.Four<unk><unk> s (also called "grooves") form during the development of a human embryo. The first<unk>  normally develops into the external auditory canal, but the remaining three arches are obliterated and have no persistent structures in normal development. Persistence or abnormal formation of these four<unk> s can all result in<unk> s which may or may not drain via sinus tracts. * First<unk> s account for 8% of the sinuses and cysts of the neck. The cysts are usually located in the front or behind the ears, lateral to the facial nerve, parallel to the external auditory canal. * Second<unk> s account for 90 to 95% of the neck cysts. It is located medial to the facial nerve, at the anterior neck, anterior to the sternocleidomastoid muscle, above the hyoid bone. Skin pit can be found in this location. However, if skin pits are found on both sides of the neck, then, branchio-oto-renal syndrome should be ruled out. Infection of the cysts in this region can compress trachea, causing respiratory problems, or it can compress the oesophagus, causing dysphagia, and irritating the sternocleidomastoid muscle, causing torticollis. * Third and fourth<unk> s are rare, usually consisting of 2% of all<unk>  arch abnormalities, located below the second<unk>  arch. They usually have sinus tracts that start from the anterior neck at the thyroid gland until pyriform sinus posteriorly. If infected, it can cause acute infectious thyroiditis in children and if enlarge rapidly, can cause tracheal compression in children.
Branchial cleft cyst
Vascular anomaly
Thyroglossal cyst
Lymphadenopathy
Paradental cyst
Lymphoma
Vocal cord cyst
Thymus