Abstract
The incidence of cancer in lateral neck cysts which were clinically diagnosed as branchial cysts was assessed retrospectively in two different periods in two different geographical locations over a period of 12 and 10 years. The incidence of cancers in these clinically benign cysts was nearly 14%. Although clinically these are labelled as branchial cysts, they ought to be investigated as cystic metastases from a nearby primary cancer, usually the tonsil, and a concerted search for a primary site ought to be made at the same time as excising them for histology.