Serena said the benign branchial cyst was the size of a small grapefruit.
Serena Williams said she had a benign branchial cyst “about the size of a small grapefruit” removed from her neck. The 43-year-old tennis superstar reported on social media that a lump was found in her neck earlier this year and, after an MRI exam, she was told she didn’t need to have it removed if she didn’t want to.
So it didn’t, “but it kept growing,” he said.
After some more tests, including a biopsy, which came back negative for cancer, Williams said her doctors recommended she have the removal procedure. Sharing a video of her in a hospital bed, Serena wrote: “So that’s me taking it off. I feel very grateful and lucky that everything turned out well and, above all, I am healthy. Everything’s fine”.
A gill cyst, also known as a gill cleft cyst or cleft sinus, is a congenital lump that forms in the neck or collarbone area. Doctors say that although it may be present from birth, the cyst may not be noticed until later in life.
What is a benign cyst??
According to experts, a cyst is a sac that can fill with air, fluid or other material and form anywhere in the body, including bones, organs and soft tissues. Doctors say that most cysts are noncancerous or benign, but sometimes they can be cancerous.
The most common benign neck masses are:
- Branchial cleft cysts
- Thyroglossal duct cysts
- epidermoid cysts
- dermoid cysts
- Lymphangiomas
- hemangiomas
These masses cause a cosmetic deformity as they protrude from the neck. Aside from that, many neck masses also cause symptoms if they become infected and that is why it is important to remove them surgically.
How are cysts different from a tumor?
According to the Mayo Clinic, a tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue or swelling and, like a cyst, can form anywhere in the body. Cysts that appear uniform after examination by ultrasound or CT scan are almost always benign and should simply be observed.
If the cyst has solid components, it may be benign or malignant and should undergo further evaluation. This is often done by repeating the imaging to see if the cyst grows over time.
Signs and symptoms of cysts.
The signs and symptoms of cysts vary widely depending on the type of cyst it is. Some on the skin cause the following symptoms:
- A lump under the skin
- Fluid or pus in the lump
- Pain
- Redness or discoloration
Many internal cysts, such as those that appear in the kidneys or liver, may not cause any symptoms and you may not notice them until they show up on imaging scans. Experts say skin cysts don’t cause pain unless they rupture, become infected, or become inflamed.
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