Clinicopathological Spectrum of Non-Thyroidal head and Neck Swellings at a Tertiary Care Centre in Andhra Pradesh, India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Head and neck swellings are frequent in surgical and otorhinolaryngological practice and range from inflammatory to malignant lesions. Published data from tertiary centres in Andhra Pradesh are limited.
Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study with histopathological correlation was conducted in the Department of General Surgery, Chittoor, between November 2022 and May 2024. All patients with palpable non-thyroidal swellings were evaluated clinically, with fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and excisional biopsy as indicated. Demographic, clinical, cytological, histopathological and treatment data were analysed descriptively.
Results: Of 116 patients, 67 (57.8%) were male. The mean age was 40.97 years (SD 18.93), and the 41–60-year group was largest (35.3%). Swellings were usually solitary (85.3%), cystic or soft (75.0%) and non-fixed (95.7%). The commonest histopathological diagnoses were sebaceous cyst (24.1%), dermoid cyst (19.0%) and lipoma (19.0%). Squamous cell carcinoma was confirmed in three patients (2.6%). FNAC was not performed in 57.8% of patients. Excision was the commonest treatment (73.3%), and 97.4% of patients were recorded as recovered.
Conclusions: Benign cystic and lipomatous lesions predominated, but malignant and infective diagnoses were not negligible. Systematic tissue diagnosis, particularly for firm or fixed swellings, is warranted.