A congenital neck mass arising from the branchial apparatus is called?

• A. Brachial cleft cyst
• B. Thyroglossal duct cyst
• C. Lateral cervical cyst
• D. Cystic hygroma

Answer: (A)

Branchial apparatus remnants are a common source of congenital neck cysts, and the one specifically arising from these structures is called a brachial cleft cyst. This lesion most often represents a remnant of the second branchial cleft and tends to appear as a lateral neck mass along the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. It’s a congenital finding that may remain painless for years but can become symptomatic if it becomes infected or enlarges.

Knowing the other options helps place this in context. A thyroglossal duct cyst is a midline lesion that moves with swallowing or tongue protrusion and traces back to the thyroglossal duct tract, not the lateral branchial system. A cystic hygroma is a lymphatic malformation, typically located in the posterior triangle and often multiloculated. The term lateral cervical cyst is a descriptive label for a cyst located on the side of the neck and can include branchial cleft cysts, but the specific entity arising from the branchial apparatus is best termed a brachial cleft cyst.