Cervical approach to the thoracic inlet in paediatric patients with broncho-pulmonary foregut malformations

Lesions of the thoracic inlet present a significant challenge to the surgeon due to the difficulty of access and proximity to important neurovascular structures within the region.We describe two cases of benign disease of the thoracic inlet in children, one bronchogenic cyst and an esophageal duplication, and report the cervical approach used to manage them. Both lesions extended from the neck through the thoracic inlet, but demonstrate how benign lesions in this area can be delivered up into a cervical incision, negating the need for the more invasive modified thoracotomies. A cervical approach can be safely and successfully used to approach benign pathology, such as bronchogenic cysts and oesophageal duplications of the thoracic inlet. Careful multidisciplinary planning is required for such procedures.