CASE REPORT   

Chirurgia 2003 October-December;16(5-6):193-6

Copyright © 2003 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Extragonadal teratoma in adults. Two case reports

Malberti S., Monti B., Assi F., Rolla M., Varisco E. M., Zani G.

Teratoma contains recognizable mature or immature elements representative of more than one germ layer. Extragonadal teratomas are less common than gonadal ones. The authors report 2 cases of extragonadal teratomas localized in 2 unusual sites. Two patients in their 3rd decade of life were affected by a mature cystic teratoma.The clinical presentations, the histologic findings and diagnostic investigations are described. The anatomic position of teratomas was the ischiorectal fossa in the 1st case and retroperitoneal space in the 2nd . Both patients underwent a complete resection of the mass. Histologic diagnosis was mature cystic teratoma. Teratoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pelvic mass in adults. These 2 cases suggest that a careful preoperative diagnosis, by means of ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance images is important for successful surgery.