Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Fourth branchial pouch anomalies are rarely reported. A case is described of an isolated branchial cyst which was found to contain ectopic thyroid tissue. This case, together with four others previously reported, support the theory that the thyroid gland may receive contributions from the fourth branchial pouch during development.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Ohri et al. (1994) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: