REVIEW ARTICLE
Thornwaldt’s Cyst
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Konya University, Meram Medical Faculty,
Department of Otorhinolaryngology Konya,
Turkey
Publication date: 2012-01-10
Corresponding author
Köksal Yuca
Konya University, Meram Medical Faculty
Department of Otorhinolaryngology,
Head and Neck Surgery,
Meram/Konya, Turkey
Eur J Gen Med 2012;9(Supplement 1):26-29
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The nasopharynx is a cuboidal compartment extending from the base
of the skull to the soft palate. Thornwaldt’s bursa, also known as
nasopharyngeal bursa, is a recess in the midline of the nasopharynx,
which is produced by persistent notochord remnants. If the opening
of the bursa is occluded, benign midline nasopharyngeal mucosal cyst
called Thornwaldt cyst develops. Thornwaldt cysts are almost always
asymptomatic. However, if they become infected or exposed to trauma
they can cause some symtoms include halitosis, occipital headache
and postnasal drip. The diagnosis of this mass is usually incidental as
part of a nasal endoscopic examination. Radiological and endoscopic
examination can be used to diagnose the cyst. Radiographs frequently
demonstrate a soft tissue mass with sharply defined margins high on
the posterior pharyngeal wall. The differential diagnosis should include
a meningocele or meningo-encephalocele. Various therapeutic
approaches, including endoscopic, transoral, or transpalatal surgical
interventions, can be used for treatment of symptomatic cysts.