Thyroglossal cysts in patients over 30 years of age

8 patients over 30 years of age with a thyroglossal cyst, who had not been operated on before and who underwent excision of the cyst by a Sistrunk procedure, are described. In 8 additional patients, a wait-and-see policy was adopted. Follow-up data of these 16 patients are reported 1.5-14 years after their last visit to the hospital. There were no recurrences in the group of treated patients. In the group of untreated patients, the cyst remained unchanged in 1, decreased in size in 3 and disappeared completely in the remaining 4 patients. The present study indicates that removal of a thyroglossal cyst in patients over 30 years of age is not obligatory.