CHENNAI: In one of the rarest instances, doctors in Chennai successfully treated a six-month-old baby, who was born with a thyroglossal cyst on the tongue. A thyroglossal duct cyst is a mass or lump in the front part of the neck that is filled with fluid.
According to a statement, a group of experts led by Dr Moorthy of Rainbow Children's Hospital, diagnosed the tumor to be a thyroglossal duct cyst which required surgical intervention for its removal. The boy, named Theeran, was brought to the hospital in a stable condition with a swelling in the tongue which was present since birth.
The statement said that the swelling had occupied the whole of the mouth, thereby pushing the tongue to the upper palate making it challenging for the baby to breastfeed and swallow. Upon performing tests and MRI scans, the reports revealed a lymphatic cyst on tongue which was resistant to sclerotherapy (a procedure to shrink the size of blood vessels).
The baby’s condition started to become critical as the cystic tumor which was arising from the tongue had extended up to the floor of the mouth, and thereby hampering the baby’s intake of food and milk. After careful evaluation and study of the cyst, the doctors went for the surgery and removed the cyst.
"The Cyst was intramuscular in nature and was filled with brownish jelly material. During the surgery, we had to decompress the cyst and drain the liquid to safely remove the tumor," Dr Moorthy G, Senior
Consultant – Pediatric Surgery & Urology at the hospital said.
The baby was discharged after three days from the date of surgery and is recovering well, the statement added. He has resumed his normal food intake and is able to drink and eat comfortably.