Congenital Abnormalities of the Head and Neck

Question 1

Pharyngeal arches

Answer 1

Recognisable precursors for many structures of head and neck

Arise from mesenchyme neural crest at Wk 4

Each arch is seperated by pharyngeal grooves

develop into:
face, nasal cavity, mouth, larynx, pharynx, neck

Question 2

Stomodeum/oropharyngeal membrane

Answer 2

primordial mouth

covered in ectoderm

entrance to pharynx is through the stomodeum into the buccalpharyngeal membrane

access to foregut

Question 3

First pharyngeal arch

Answer 3

Mandibular arch

Develops into mandibular and maxillary process

Question 4

Second pharyngeal arch

Answer 4

Hyoid arch

Develops into the body of hyoid bone

Question 5

Meckel’s

cartilage

Answer 5

Cartiliage of the first arch

Forms middle ear bones
-Malleus and incus

Rest of the cartilage
-Sphenomandibular ligament

Question 6

Thyroglossal cyst and fistula

Answer 6

Persistance of the thyroglossal duct to form a cyst in the tongue or anterior neck

A fistula forms when the cyst is perforated.

Question 7

Branchial Fistula

Answer 7

Congenital epithelial cysts
present on the lateral part of the neck

complications include
-recurrent infections

Treatment
-complete excision of the tract

Question 8

Cystic hygroma

Answer 8

Lymphangioma

• Cysts formed in lymph vessels
• Often in occipital triangle of the neck

Treatment

• Injecting sclerosants
• Surgery

Question 9

Haemangioma

Answer 9

Benign vascular tumour

often left alone as they can resolve with time

May need surgery if affecting peri-oribal area

Question 10

Cleft lip and palate

Answer 10

When the 2 palatal shelves fail to meet and fuse together

Treat with surgery