A Pediatric Radiology Textbook and Pediatric Radiology Digital Library
Pediatric Ectopic Cervical Thymus
Etiology: — Off midline congenital neck mass — Anywhere along thymopharyngeal duct from mandible to thoracic inlet
Imaging US: Cervical extension of thymus can be confirmed which shows characteristic starry sky or dot-dash appearance of thymus
Imaging MRI: Matches thymus on all sequences
DDX:
Complications:
Treatment:
Clinical:
Radiology Cases of Ectopic Cervical Thymus
Transverse+sagittal US of the neck (above) shows the mass to have a starry sky appearance. Axial+coronal CT with contrast of the neck shows the mass to be inferior to the thyroid and contiguous with the thymus.
