Cervical lymphoceles are atypical lymphatic accumulations that develop within the subcutaneous tissue of the neck. While these accumulations have traditionally been removed via surgical excision, sclerotherapy has recently emerged as a reasonable option to prevent injury to surrounding vascular, neurologic, and pulmonary structures. The purpose of this case report is to describe the efficacy of ethanol sclerotherapy for a cervical lymphocele refractory to surgical embolization. We present the case of a 70-year-old male with a large cervical lymphocele that was initially treated with surgical embolization. The mass rapidly reaccumulated within two weeks and the patient subsequently underwent ethanol sclerotherapy with no evidence of re-accumulation after 18 months. This case highlights the utility of ethanol due to its better side-effect profile, widespread availability, and cheaper cost when compared to better-described agents.
Keywords: cervical lymphocele; ethanol; neck mass; sclerotherapy; ultrasound.
Copyright © 2022, Shaver et al.