Abstract.
A 41-year-old woman presented with severe and sudden anterior neck swelling, pain, and dysphagia. Computed tomography (CT) scan and ultrasound of the neck showed a giant mass in the retropharyngeal space, displacing the trachea and esophagus anteriorly. Aspiration cytology was done, following which extensive cervical and chest ecchymosis occurred and her symptoms immediately improved. A repeat CT scan demonstrated that the cervical giant mass had vanished, but there was a residual mass in the left paratracheal space. Exploratory surgery of the neck revealed a parathyroid cyst with severe adhesion to the surrounding tissues. We considered that a ruptured parathyroid cyst had induced massive hemorrhage into the cervical tissues and mediastinum, but that the hemorrhage had been absorbed. Extracapsular hemorrhage from a parathyroid adenoma or cyst is rare, especially from a parathyroid cyst. In fact, to our knowledge, this represents only the third case of symptomatic spontaneous bleeding of a parathyroid cyst. Nevertheless, this entity should still be considered in the differential diagnosis of all rapidly progressing retropharyngeal masses.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: March 3, 2002 / Accepted: September 3, 2002
Reprint requests to: I. Taniguchi
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Taniguchi, I., Maeda, T., Morimoto, K. et al. Spontaneous Retropharyngeal Hematoma of a Parathyroid Cyst: Report of a Case. Surg Today 33, 354–357 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s005950300080
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s005950300080