Quiste cervical como manifestación inicial de un microcarcinoma papilar de tiroides

cystic cervical masses are usually benign in the young adult population. however malignant tumors of the head and neck may present ocasionally as cystic metastasis. herein we report a case of a 33 year old female patient, asymptomatic, with a huge cystic cervical mass of 1 year data. the initial diagnosis was a branchial clef cyst, but after imaging studies and histopathologic examination papillary thyroid carcinoma was suspected. this diagnosis was confirmed in an intraoperatory consultation, so a total thyroidectomy, central lymph node dissection and modified radical neck dissection was performed. the final diagnosis on the surgical specimen was a papillary microcarcinoma of the thyroid with cystic lymph node metastasis and the patient received radioactive iodine afterwards