Conference moira::parenting

601.0. "Parents with kids who have cystic hygromas??" by ICS::LBROWN (Lesley Brown) Wed Oct 06 1993 15:32

 Does anyone out there know about cystic hygromas?
    
    My 5 year old daughter, Rayna, had one removed from her neck in April. 
    As it was explained to me by the pediatric surgeon (in laymen's terms),
    hygromas result when the channels that carry fluid through the body
    don't work correctly, resulting in a fluid pocket.  Apparently, Rayna
    was born with this abnormality.
    
    We realized there was a problem when Rayna was treated with antiobiotics
    3 times for a lump in her neck.  When the lump wouldn't go away, our
    pedi. referred us to a surgeon (she thought that best case, it was a
    stubborn lymph node, or worst case, cancer).  But it was neither!
    
    The hygroma was removed in May, and Rayna is fine (she has a small
    scar).
    
    What bothers me is this thing could recur, and my other 2 kids could
    have it too (and we won't know until a lump shows up).  The scary thing
    is that these things can be huge (like starting from the neck and
    ending under an arm), and like Rayna's, could rest on muscles or blood
    vessels (requiring a blood transfusion during surgery or causing muscle
    weakness after surgery -- thank God neither of these happened with
    Rayna's surgery).
    
    Has anyone experienced this?  Has it run in the family or recurred in a
    child who had surgery?
    
    Lesley