Author(s)

Sultan Khalid Kadasah¹, Abdullah Al Helali², Saud Abdulwahab Aldhabaan³, Faisal A. Alkenani⁴, Dalia Alqarni^5*, Maha Alaklabi⁵, Reema Alsaluli⁵, Amirah Alqawba⁵, Naif Alqarni⁵, Manar Almnabhi⁵

¹Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia.
²Otolaryngology Department, Abha Children Hospital & Aseer Central Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
³Department of Otolaryngology, King Fahad Military Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
⁴Residential at Armed Forces Hospital Southern Region, King Abdulaziz University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
⁵College of Medicine, University of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi Arabia.

A 37-year-old Saudi female patient presented with an unusual case of a third/fourth branchial cleft cyst and acute suppurative thyroiditis. She had been experiencing fever, dysphagia, and neck pain for 5 days, unrelieved by antibiotics. An initial CT scan showed a parapharyngeal abscess, which was further evaluated to reveal a collection mainly within the parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal spaces. Laryngoscopy indicated a large paraglottic collection causing vocal fold immobility. The surgical intervention involved intraoral drainage and cauterization of the identified branchial cleft sinus. Postoperative evaluation was completed, and the patient was discharged. All antibiotics were administered, resulting in excellent clinical improvement. It is important to consider branchial cleft anomalies as differential diagnoses for acute neck infections, and it is essential to involve multiple specialists in determining the diagnosis and treatment plan.

Branchial Cleft Anomalies, Congenital Sinus, Neck Infections, Parapharyngeal Abscess, Suppurative Thyroiditis, Surgical Drainage

Kadasah, S. , Helali, A. , Aldhabaan, S. , Alkenani, F. , Alqarni, D. , Alaklabi, M. , Alsaluli, R. , Alqawba, A. , Alqarni, N. and Almnabhi, M. (2025) Acute Suppurative Thyroiditis in a Case with Atypical Third/Fourth Branchial Cleft Cyst: A Case Report. International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 14, 129-136. doi: 10.4236/ijohns.2025.143015.