Bilateral second pharyngeal cleft cysts in 2 calves on the same farm.

Pharyngeal cleft cysts (also called branchial cleft cysts) are rare congenital defects of the pharynx region that appear as soft, fluctuant cystic structures on the ventral neck. These cysts are formed by anomalous regression of the pharyngeal clefts during embryonic development and are lined by pseudostratified columnar to squamous, partially ciliated epithelium on histopathology. Development of these cysts is sporadic, with no currently identified risk factors in veterinary species. The cysts are typically unilateral, and primarily diagnosed in mature animals of various species. The objective of this article is to report 2 cases of bilateral second pharyngeal cleft cysts in 2 calves with no shared pedigree, located on the same farm. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of geographically linked second pharyngeal cleft cysts in veterinary species, and the first cases of bilateral cysts in cattle. Key clinical message: Pharyngeal cleft cysts are an important differential for soft, fluctuant, and cystic structures on the ventral neck of all species. These cases are typically unilateral, diagnosed in mature animals and are sporadic with no currently identified risk factors in veterinary species.
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