Not All Acute Neck Swellings Are Hematomas: A Cervical Cyst Rupture After Minor Trauma.
Mehmet Yorgun, Mahmut Şahin
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
A previously healthy 15-year-old boy presented with acute right-sided neck swelling, pain, and restricted movement after a sudden neck turn. Vital signs and laboratory findings were normal. Ultrasonography showed a well-defined cystic lesion with dense internal contents; contrast-enhanced CT demonstrated a solitary hypodense cyst extending from the right supraclavicular region into the cervical compartment, without solid enhancement or surrounding inflammation. Emergency department aspiration yielded approximately 50 mL of homogeneous, straw-colored, nonhemorrhagic fluid, with rapid improvement. After observation, he was discharged with close follow-up and recovered uneventfully.
What made this case unusual
The swelling followed minor movement and could have been mistaken for a traumatic hematoma, but imaging and nonhemorrhagic aspirate supported rupture of a preexisting cervical cyst.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
Acute neck swelling after minor trauma is not necessarily a hematoma. Cystic imaging features and aspirate character can help distinguish cervical cyst rupture from bleeding.
Why it matters
Because acute neck swelling can be high risk, airway monitoring and coordinated nursing and physician care remain important during assessment, aspiration, and disposition.