title: Mature teratoma of the retroperitoneum: radiologic, pathologic, and clinical correlation.
abstract: The authors retrospectively evaluated radiologic, clinical, and pathologic findings in 23 cases of mature teratoma arising within peri- or pararenal spaces. Radiologic studies--including abdominal radiographs (21 cases), excretory urograms (12 cases), sonograms (17 cases), and computed tomographic (CT) scans (18 cases)--were evaluated for tumor location, mass effect, calcification, fat, tumor invasion, echo pattern, and tissue characteristics. Most patients were female (3.4:1), younger than 6 months (50%), and asymptomatic. Abdominal radiography demonstrated a mass in 95%, calcium in 92%, and fat in 60% of cases in which CT revealed these components. Similarly, sonography showed uncomplicated fluid in 76% and calcium in 50% of cases. Fat was not reliably distinguished from other soft-tissue components on sonograms. The most characteristic radiologic findings of mature teratoma of the retroperitoneum are a complex mass containing a well-circumscribed fluid component of variable volume, adipose tissue and/or sebum in the form of a fat-fluid level, and calcification in either a congealed or linear strand pattern. These findings are better demonstrated by CT than by sonography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiologic Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC 20306-6000.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Goldman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013724:Teratoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography