ArticleThe Laryngoscope2026
Branchial Cleft Cyst Carcinoma Remains Grossly Over Diagnosed: A Large Database Analysis.
Article in The Laryngoscope, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Branchial Cleft Cyst Carcinoma Remains Grossly Over Diagnosed: A Large Database Analysis.The Laryngoscope · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionBranchial cleft cyst carcinomas (BCCC) are rare lateral neck malignancies thought to originate from branchial cleft remnants. Diagnosing primary BCCC should be approached with skepticism; cystic nodal metastasis must be excluded. Due to its rarity, we performed a comprehensive database study to better characterize the ongoing diagnosis of BCCC.
methodsSingle-arm retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX Research database. Patients ≥ 18 years of age with a diagnosis of BCCC identified by ICD-10 C10.4 between 2008 and 2018 were included, allowing for up to 5 years of follow-up. Demographics, past medical history, oncologic history, diagnostic rate, treatment pathways, and 5-year outcomes including diagnosis with primary HNC and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were analyzed within TriNetX.
resultsIn 10 years, 1070 patients diagnosed with BCCC were included. The mean age was 59.6 ± 9.7; the majority were male (n = 810, 75.6%) and white (n = 765, 71.4%). Incidence of BCCC increased from 2008 to 2015 and subsequently dropped precipitously. Almost all patients, 94.4% (n = 1011), had prior or subsequent diagnosis of another HNC within 5 years. Five-year survival probability for BCCC was 56.0%.
conclusionsWe describe the largest cohort of BCCC patients to date. Most patients were diagnosed with another HNC within 5 years, suggesting a likely misdiagnosis of BCCC. A poor 5-year survival rate may be secondary to a delay in appropriate treatment following an erroneous diagnosis, underscoring the need to approach a diagnosis of BCCC with caution. We consider the use of the BCCC code to be detrimental and recommend its discontinuation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4:
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.