title: Congenital teratomas of the neck and nasopharynx: a clinical and pathological study of 18 cases.
abstract: Congenital teratomas of the neck and nasopharynx are unusual tumours that seldom metastasize. Due to their rarity, reviews often have relied upon compilations of isolated case reports. We report our experience of the early outcome of 18 cases (14 cervical, four nasopharyngeal) to demonstrate the high morbidity and mortality that these benign but critically placed lesions have because of local mass effects. Six patients (33%) either were stillborn or died of disease within 2 days of birth; of the survivors, four (22%) had significant respiratory obstruction requiring surgery. Tumour location and size rather than histologic grading were the most significant features affecting the immediate clinical course. All but one of the patients who underwent early surgical resection had a favourable outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, Adelaide Children's Hospital, Australia.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Byard
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Jimenez
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000151:congenital* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000151:congenital* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013724:Teratoma / Q000151:congenital* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology