Diagnostic and Operative Challenges in a Type I First Branchial Cleft Cyst: A Case Report.

First branchial cleft cyst (FBCC) is a rare entity of congenital anomalies in the head and neck area. Dealing with FBCC is a clinical challenge as the condition is frequently forgotten in the differential diagnosis of lateral neck swelling. We report a rare case of unilateral type I FBCC in an 11-year-old boy who presented with a painless and slow-growing preauricular mass masquerading as a benign cystic lesion of the parotid.