Overall cohort and statistical analysis
There were 101 (70%) males and 24 (17%) females; gender was not
reported in 18 (13%) patients. The average age at diagnosis was 4 years
(11 days – 18 years). Patients with a surgically excised cystic ECT
were significantly older than patients with either a conservatively
managed solid ECT or a surgically excised solid ECT (p <
0.0001). A total of 119 (79%) lesions were found in the neck: right
neck 48 (41.5%), left neck 66 (55.5%), unspecified neck 5 (4%). The
median lesion volume was 19.8 (0.01 – 1308) mL: patients with a
surgically excised cystic ECT had significantly larger lesion than
patients with a conservatively managed solid ECT or a surgically excised
solid ECT (p = 0.0007). There was no difference in size between lesions
located in the neck and other anatomical areas (p = 0.18) and between
right and left neck (p = 0.6).
The presence of normal mediastinal thymus was investigated in 40 (28%)
patients and found to be present in 39 (97.5%). For the remaining 103
patients there was no information regarding if the presence of normal
mediastinal thymus was investigated.
Overall, for the 106 ECT cases that were excised we did not find ECT as
preoperative differential diagnosis in the 54 manuscripts analysed.
FNAC/biopsy were performed in 25 (5.6%) cases: correct diagnosis of ECT
was obtained in 12 (48%) cases. Regardless of the type of ECT,
post-operative complications included vocal cord paresis (2),
hypocalcaemia (1), seroma (1).4, 5, 9, 68 There were
no documented reports of malignancy on histological analysis of any type
of ECT. Overall follow-up which was available for 36 (25%) patients,
was 0.7 years (2 weeks – 6 years).