International Pediatric Otolaryngology Group (IPOG) consensus recommendations: Management of the pediatric thyroglossal duct cyst

Goh S 1 , Maddalozzo J 2 , Brigger M 3 , Bt Mohd Nor K 4 , Chadha N 5 , Cheng A 6 Show all authors , Cunningham MJ 7 , Daniel S 8 , DeRowe A 9 , Goh BS 10 , Hsu WC 11 , Koempel J 12 , Kuo M 13 , Kwon SK 14 , MacCormick J 15 , Varghese AM 16 , MacLean J 17 , Moreddu E 18 , Morimoto N 19 , Ospina J 20 , Peer S 21 , Perez C 22 , Roy S 23 , Schweiger C 24 , Sih TM 25 , Sobol S 26 , Tan H 27 , Thierry B 28 , Trimble K 29 , Trozzi M 30 , Wyatt M 31 , Rahbar R 7 , Campisi P 32

Affiliations 

  • 1 Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, UK
  • 2 Ann & Robert H. Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, IL, USA
  • 3 Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA
  • 4 Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 5 British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • 6 The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Westmead, NSW, Australia
  • 7 Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
  • 8 Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
  • 9 Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • 10 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Children's Specialist Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 11 National Taiwan University Hospital and Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
  • 12 Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  • 13 Birmingham Children's Hospital, Birmingham, UK
  • 14 Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
  • 15 Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottowa, ON, Canada
  • 16 Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
  • 17 Hamilton Health Sciences Centre McMaster & Children's Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  • 18 Aix-Marseille University, La Timone Children's Hospital, Marseille, France
  • 19 National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan
  • 20 Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Bogotá, Colombia
  • 21 Red Cross Children's Hospital & University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
  • 22 Hospital Garrahan and Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • 23 Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
  • 24 Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
  • 25 Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
  • 26 Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA
  • 27 KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
  • 28 Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
  • 29 Royal Victoria Hospital and Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
  • 30 Bambino Gesú Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy
  • 31 Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK
  • 32 The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: paolo.campisi@sickkids.ca
Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol, 2026 Oct 22;211:113062.
PMID: 42976434 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2026.113062

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To provide recommendations to otolaryngologists, physicians and allied health care professionals for the management of children with thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDC).

METHODS: Expert recommendations on the diagnosis, management, surgical and post-operative considerations for TGDC were established through a multi-iterative Delphi-consensus survey of pediatric otolaryngologists.

RESULTS: The survey participants included 33 pediatric otolaryngologists from 18 different countries. The consensus recommendations are as follows: 1) ultrasound is the preferred diagnostic imaging modality, with cross-sectional imaging considered in the setting of an uncertain or complicated clinical presentation; 2) an open trans-cervical approach with removal of the central hyoid bone; 3) intra- and post-operative administration of antibiotics in the setting of active TGDC infection; 4) post-operative admission in patients with comorbidities or if a drain is employed.

CONCLUSION: Consensus was achieved for several diagnostic and surgical considerations in the management of children with TGDC. As there remains variability in opinion on other aspects of management, clinicians may need to provide a nuanced approach in the context of individual patient factors and institutional circumstances.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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