Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine

Introduction: Patients commonly present with neck masses to the Emergency Department. The acute presentation of such a mass can be alarming to patients and their families. In this report we discuss a rare etiology of an acutely presenting neck mass in an adult.

Case Report: We present a 19-year-old patient with an acute neck mass. The mass developed abruptly soon after initiation of a new upper body strength-training regimen. The patient’s history was unremarkable for any trauma or constitutional symptoms. Physical examination revealed the mass, which was diagnosed as a lymphatic malformation by imaging. Surgical removal was successful with pathology confirming the diagnosis.

Conclusion: Lymphatic malformations, although rare, may present in adulthood. The acute presentation of a new mass, coupled with a lack of concerning constitutional symptoms, should increase the diagnostic suspicion of a lymphatic malformation.