[Diagnosis and treatment of congenital cysts and fistulae of the neck].

The diagnosis and operative treatment of congenital cervical fistulae and cysts are in many cases difficult, especially abnormalities of the first branchial cleft and of the sinus cervicalis. In our hospital 90 congenital cervical fistulae and cysts were treated surgically between April 1972 and August 1979, excluding cysts of the thyroid gland, lymphangiomas etc. Four of these children with a median cyst and two children with fistulae of the first branchial cleft had recurrences due to partial obliteration and fibrosis of the ducts following inflammation. Other causes for recurrence were atypical locations of the fistulae and cysts. Therefore it is necessary to operate the congenital fistulae and cysts as early as possible.