When is a Neck Lump not a Neck Lump? Initial Presentation of a Solitary Sternocleidomastoid Muscle in an Adult

Kumar, Ms. Sonia MRCS
Jervis, Ms. Surie MRCS
Uppal, Mr. Harpreet FRCS(ORL-HNS)

From the ENT Department, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, U.K.
ENT Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
ENT Department, University Hospital North Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, U.K.

ENT Department, Royal Berkshire Hospital, London Rd., Reading RG1 5AN, UK. Email: [email protected].

The case described in this article occurred at University Hospital North Staffordshire.

Ear, Nose & Throat Journal 93(1):p 38-39, January 2014. | DOI: 10.1177/014556131409300110

A 70-year-old woman was referred to us for evaluation of a presumed left-sided neck mass. The referral was based on the visual appearance of subtle neck asymmetry. The patient reported no ENT symptoms. Clinical examination and ultrasonography identified no pathology, but computed tomography revealed that the asymmetry was present because the patient's right sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) was absent. The SCM on the left side was normal. Congenital absence of an SCM is uncommon, and to the best of our knowledge, an initial presentation in an adult has not been previously reported in the literature.