What’s a sacrococcygeal teratoma?

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A sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is a tumor most commonly seen in infants and young children. This tumor represents a proliferation of different cell types. It is commonly identified after finding a lump or bump in the lower back region and is diagnosed with several imaging tests. All SCTs must be surgically removed, and some affected patients will also require chemotherapy to adequately treat this condition.

A teratoma is an abnormal growth of germ cells. The early development of embryos depends on these germ cells, which are undifferentiated cells that grow and develop into all components of the human body. Because teratomas develop from these germ cells, they can contain a variety of different tissue types including glands, bone, teeth, hair, or skin. The term sacrococcygeal refers to a region of the body; the sacral region is the lower back and the coccygeal region is the tailbone area. Therefore, a sacrococcygeal teratoma is a tumor made up of many different types of cells found in the lower back and tailbone region.

Sacrococcygeal teratomas can cause a variety of symptoms, the most common being a mass that protrudes from the sacrococcygeal region of the body. Other symptoms may develop from tumor ingrowth, which can cause blockage of the urinary tract or gastrointestinal tract. Urinary system obstruction can cause decreased urination, blood in the urine, or kidney failure. Blockage of the gastrointestinal tract can lead to intestinal obstruction, which causes symptoms such as abdominal distension, vomiting, constipation and pain.

Diagnosis of sacrococcygeal teratoma can be made by several methods. Often, SCTs can be diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound. The diagnosis is confirmed in these patients after birth by imaging studies such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Even infants and young children can be diagnosed with SCT. These patients are identified based on their symptoms, and the diagnosis of SCT is confirmed with a CT or MRI scan.

The first step in treating a sacrococcygeal teratoma is surgery, which is necessary because the tumor may be malignant. The method used to perform the surgery depends on the size of the SCT. Often the tumors can be very large and the scope of surgery can be extensive. Sometimes multiple surgeries may be needed, and in some cases, removal of the tailbone may be required.

After a sacrococcygeal teratoma is surgically removed, it is referred to a pathologist for evaluation. The pathologist will determine whether the tumor is benign or malignant. If the tumor is benign, often no additional treatment is needed beyond patient follow-up to monitor for recurrence. Unlike benign tumors, patients with malignant tumors will require chemotherapy to completely eradicate any abnormal cells that may still be present in the body.

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