AUTHOR=Frauenfelder Claire , Shelmerdine Susan C. , Simcock Ian C. , Hall Andrew , Hutchinson John Ciaran , Ashworth Michael T. , Arthurs Owen J. , Butler Colin R. 

TITLE=Micro-CT Imaging of Pediatric Thyroglossal Duct Cysts: A Prospective Case Series

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2021.746010

DOI=10.3389/fped.2021.746010

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> To determine the feasibility of micro-CT as a high-resolution 3D imaging tool for thyroglossal duct cysts and to evaluate its role augmenting traditional histopathological examination of resected specimens.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> A single centre, prospective case series of consecutive children undergoing excision of a thyroglossal duct cyst was performed at a quaternary paediatric referral hospital in the United Kingdom. Consecutive children listed for excision of a thyroglossal duct cyst whose parents agreed to participate were included and there were no exclusion criteria.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Surgically excised thyroglossal duct cyst or remnant specimens from five patients (two males, three females) were examined using micro-CT alongside traditional histopathological examination. In all cases, micro-CT imaging was able to demonstrate 3D imaging datasets of the specimens successfully and direct radio-pathological comparisons were made (<bold>Figures 1</bold>–<bold>5</bold>, <xref ref-type="supplementary-material" rid="SM1">Supplementary Video 1</xref>).</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> The study has shown the feasibility and utility of post-operative micro-CT imaging of thyroglossal duct cysts specimens as a visual aid to traditional histopathological examination. It better informs the pathological specimen sectioning using multi-planar reconstruction and volume rendering tools without tissue destruction. In the complex, often arborised relationship between a thyroglossal duct cyst and the hyoid, micro-CT provides valuable image plane orientation and indicates proximity of the duct to the surgical margins. This is the first case series to explore the use of micro-CT imaging for pediatric thyroglossal duct specimens and it informs future work investigating the generalizability of micro-CT imaging methods for other lesions, particularly those from the head and neck region where precisely defining margins of excision may be challenging.</p>