Differential Diagnosis of Cystic Lesions of the Neck

It is not easy to make a definitive diagnosis of cystic lesions on CT, because various conditions in-cluding true cysts, neoplasms and metastatic or inflammatory lymph nodes exhibit similar cystic appearances on CT. Differential diagnosis of cystic lesions in the neck is discussed in this paper. In our series, cystic lesions on CT were pathologically diagnosed as fluid-containing cyst, hemorrhage, cystic degeneration and central necrosis of neoplasms. The preoperative diagnosis could be correctly estab-lished based on disease-specific findings, location, number of compartments, thickness of the wall and growth speed. The diagnosis could be more easily made in cases with more specific findings. On the contrary, the diagnosis was difficult in cases with previous history of inflammation or treatment at other hospitals. Collaboration between surgeons and radiologists is essential for correctly diagnosing cystic lesions on CT.