Clinicopathological Analysis of Head-and-Neck Masses in Children Under 15 years: A 10-Year Hospital-based Study

Aims: Head-and-neck masses in children are diverse and significant due to their potential impact on growth and development. This study aimed to analyze the clinicopathological features of head-and-neck masses in children under 15 years at Shahid Sadoughi Hospital, Yazd, from 2011 to 2021. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study included 686 children under 15 with head-and-neck masses referred to the pathology department between 2011 and 2021. Data on age, gender, mass location (e.g., ear, neck), nature (inflammatory/traumatic/infectious/reactive, benign, malignant, and congenital), symptoms (e.g., swelling and pain), and pathology diagnosis (e.g., cholesteatoma and thyroglossal cyst) were extracted from pathology reports using a checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Results: The male-to-female ratio was 1.35:1, with the 12–15-year age group being most common (35.3%). No significant gender differences were found across age groups ( P = 0.226). The neck was the most frequent site (33.7%, 231 cases). Inflammatory/traumatic/infectious/reactive masses were most prevalent (39.6%, 272 cases), followed by congenital (23.2%, 159 cases), benign neoplastic (23.o%, 158 cases), and malignant neoplastic masses (14.2%, 97 cases). Swelling was the most common symptom (36.4%, 250 cases). Cholesteatoma (13.6%, 93 cases) and thyroglossal cyst (8.3%, 57 cases) were the most frequent diagnoses. Conclusion: Inflammatory/traumatic/infectious/reactive masses are the most common head-and-neck masses in children under 15, whereas malignant neoplastic masses are the least prevalent.