Thyroglossal tract carcinoma. A review of the literature and addition of eighteen cases

The reports of thirty-seven cases of papillary carcinoma of the thyroglossal tract from the literature were combined with an additional eighteen cases from the authors' experience and from the files of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. These fifty-five cases were summarized to illustrate the clinical course of the disease and to describe a rational form of management. It is usually a surprise finding in what was thought to be a benign thyroglossal tract cyst. With exceptions defined in this article, the Sistrunk operation for benign lesions also controls the rare case of papillary carcinoma of the thyroglossal tract.