Congenital neck masses in children and their embryologic and clinical features. Neck masses of congenital origin can be diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for internists, paediatricians and surgeons. Treatment modalities of congenital neck masses are different depending on their nature, symptoms and location. Differential diagnosis includes a variety of diseases that can cause cervical masses such as infectious and neoplastic neck tumours. Our objective is to review the embryologic and clinical features of some of the most common congenital neck masses such as the haemangioma, branchial cleft anomalies, thyroglossal duct cyst, ectopic thyroid, congenital midline cervical cleft, congenital cervical teratoma, lymphangioma, cervical thymic cyst, dermoid cyst and congenital muscular torticollis.