Cytological Findings of Malignant and Benign Head and Neck Masses in Somalia

OBJECTIVE

There are no up-to-date records on head and neck masses (HNMs) in Somalia. This cytological study is the first to demonstrate the benefits and findings of fine-needle aspiration cytology in evaluating HNMs in the adult population of Somalia.

STUDY DESIGN

A total of 116 aspiration samples were taken from different levels of the neck region, except for the thyroid. Cases were classified as salivary gland, lymph node, or soft tissue/cystic lesions. They were classified according to age, gender, and cytological diagnosis.

RESULTS

Patients included 54 (46.6%) males and 62 (53.4%) females, with a mean age of 40.6 years. Seventy-two patients (62.1%) had benign lesions, while 44 (37.9%) had malignant lesions. Necrotizing granulomatous lymphadenitis (n = 51, 70.8% of the benign findings) and lymph node metastasis of squamous cell carcinoma (n = 13, 29.5% of the malignant findings) were the most frequent findings.

CONCLUSION

Fine-needle aspiration is a useful procedure in the diagnosis of neck masses. It is a cheap and easy guiding method for diagnosing granulomatous lymphadenitis and advanced-stage metastatic cancers, which are common in this country.

Imaging of pediatric head and neck masses

Medical imaging is an important tool in the evaluation and classification of pediatric head and neck masses. Such lesions may include congenital, inflammatory, infectious, vascular, or neoplastic processes. Ultrasound is often the first line modality in the workup of a neck mass in a child, followed by MRI or CT depending on the scenario. This information must be interpreted in the context of the patient's clinical history, physical examination, and demographics. The medical imaging workup of a neck mass in a child must be focused to yield the maximum information possible while minimizing the risks of radiation and sedation.

Two rare cases of craniofacial chondrosarcoma

The craniofacial region is a rare site for chondrosarcomas. These tumors may have osseous or extraosseous origin. Extraosseous chondrosarcomas have the same histological features as osseous chondrosarcomas. Chondrosarcomas usually present in the fifth to seventh decades of life, although several cases with younger age at presentation have been reported. They usually present as a painless mass that gradually progresses to various complaints, such visual impairment, nasal obstruction, and dental abnormalities. In this article, we present two cases of chondrosarcoma occurring at rather unusual locations. It is important to keep this rare malignancy in the list of differential diagnoses for a mass in the head and neck region, as these tumors may not always show the features typical of this malignancy.

Head and neck masses in children: A clinicopathological study

Fifty children with head and neck masses were evaluated clinically and pathologically. Inflammatory swellings constituted the majority (54%). Congenital - developmental malformations were the next common lesions (30%) and neoplastic masses constituted the rest (16%). Tuberculous lymphadenitis was found to be the single most common etiology (28%). Among congenital-developmental malformations, cystic hygroma was the most frequent lesion. The incidence of branchial cleft abnormalities was found to be low and no thyroglossal duct cyst was observed in this series. Among the neoplastic masses malignant lesions were more common than benign tumours and lymphoma was the most common head and neck malignancy observed.