Robotic resection of lingual thyroglossal duct cyst in an infant

摘要

Thyroglossal duct cysts (TDCs) are the most common congenital midline neck masses. Lingual TDC is a rare variant that emerges as an isolated cyst at the tongue base. Unlike conventional procedures aiming removal of cyst, duct, and hyoid bone via open surgical access, a transoral cystectomy is mostly sufficient in cases with lingual TDC. We present a case describing a 3-month-old infant patient with lingual TDC who was successfully treated with transoral robotic surgery. The cyst wall was completely excised with no complications or obvious bleeding occurred. The operating time was 10 min. He had an uneventful postoperative course. Six months postoperatively, he is free of symptoms with no evidence of recurrence. Surgical treatment of lingual TDC in an infant is possible with transoral robotic approach and minimal risk of complication. Further studies are strongly needed to confirm the safety of robotic surgery in pediatric population.