Table 1.

Differential diagnosis of neck masses during infancy.

Congenital anomalies
   Branchial cysts[5]
   Thyroglossal cysts[6]
   Ectopic thymus and thymic cysts[5]
Vascular or lymphatic anomalies
   Haemangiomas
   Cystic hygromas
Inflammatory conditions
   Sternocleidomastoid tumor (congenital muscular torticollis)
   Ranula
   Lymphadenitis and neck abscesses[8]
Benign neoplasms
   Dermoid cysts and teratomas[9,10]
   Lipoblastomas[11]
   Myofibromas[12]
Malignancies
   Neuroblastomas
   Germ cell tumours[13]
   Rhabdomyosarcomas[7]
   Lymphomas