The Mandibular Angle Hydatid Cyst Mimicking Branchial Cleft Cyst: A Case Report

We report an unusual case of primary hydatid cyst of the mandibular angle without glands involvement, in the left supraclavicular region of the neck with no involvement of any other regions of the body. In July 2012, a 25-yr old woman, from Golestan Province, Northeast Iran was admitted to our ENT Clinic, with one-year history of a progressively increasing swelling, pain and gradually growing mass located in the left side of neck region. The patient was diagnosed by Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FANC) and histopathology examination. Hydatid cyst should be considered in differential diagnosis of soft tissue mass such as branchial cleft cyst (BCC) and or dermoid cyst in the cervical region especially in endemic areas. Moreover, FANC could be recommended as a valuable, rapid, simple, and safe procedure to diagnose hydatid cyst especially in unusual locations.