Teratomas of the head and neck in infancy and childhood.
Teratomas of the head and neck make up only 9% of tumours occurring during childhood. They may occur within the upper aerodigestive tract or outside it in the neck. In either case they may present a life-threatening airway obstruction, which sometimes can occur at birth. We report the case of a child who presented at birth with a mass in the left submandibular region, and who subsequently developed a tumour at the upper pole of the left tonsil. Both lesions were teratomas with a similar histological composition. The significance of this is discussed in terms of the theories that have been previously advanced to explain the development of teratomas. Both tumours have been removed and the child remains well and free of recurrence.
D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D013724:Teratoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D014067:Tonsillar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery