A cyst forms deep in the neck’s midline From a duct that once marked the thyroid’s sign. In embryonic days, it helped the gland Move from the tongue down to its final land.
But sometimes, remnants of this duct remain, Leaving a swelling, soft, devoid of pain. It lies just beneath the hyoid bone, A silent mass, in solitude it’s grown.
When you swallow or stick out your tongue, The cyst will move as if it’s sprung. It may not hurt or cause alarm, But infection can bring forth sudden harm.
The swelling grows, turns red with heat, And pain may follow in its beat. At times, it drains, a fistula appears, A rare complication that sparks new fears.
To diagnose, the tools are clear: Ultrasound, CT, they’ll bring it near. A needle, fine, might take a test, To rule out more, and bring some rest.
The Sistrunk procedure is the cure, Removing cyst and duct to make things pure. Though benign it stays, this mass persists, Its removal is wise, before it twists.
For rarely, it may change its guise, To cancerous form, a grim surprise. So take the cyst, and let it go, With surgery’s skill, the threat’s laid low.
