Mediastinal foregut duplication cyst presenting as a rare cause of breathing difficulties in an adult

Oesophageal duplication cysts, a rare cause of neck lump treated by ultrasound guided drainage: case report and review of the literature

Oesophageal duplication cysts are a rare congenital anomaly of the foregut which usually present in infancy with respiratory symptoms, recurrent pneumonia and feeding difficulty. Other presenting symptoms depend on the location of the cyst and can include dysphagia, chest pain, arrhythmias and features of mediastinal compression. Treatment is usually surgical resection, recommended for complete resolution of symptoms, histological diagnosis and exclusion of malignancy. Here, we present a case of infected oesophageal duplication cyst which presents as a neck lump in a 43-year-old female with a background of Goltz syndrome, azygos fissure and congenital aortic stenosis. Surgical resection was decided against owing to the patient's high risk secondary to co-morbidities and instead ultrasound guided drainage was carried out successfully. The patient was symptom free and well at 1-year follow-up. Oesophageal duplication is an unusual presentation of a neck lump in an adult and whilst the usual treatment is surgical resection, we present here a case treated in an entirely different manner.

Foregut duplication cysts in siblings: A case report

Enteric duplication cysts are rare congenital anomalies that result from heterotrophic rests of foregut-derived epithelium in the head, neck, thorax or abdomen. Typically, foregut duplication cysts of the head and neck are diagnosed in asymptomatic children. No single embryologic process has been identified to explain causation. In this case, we report a case of two siblings with foregut duplication cysts-one cyst occurring in the floor of mouth and the other occurring in the thorax as an esophageal duplication. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such an event in the literature. This case raises the question of a possibly inherited foregut cyst versus a spontaneous occurrence in first degree relatives.