title: Clonal analysis of sacrococcygeal "teratomas".
abstract: Congenital masses of the sacrococcygeal region commonly contain multiple tissues and have variously been subclassified as neoplasms or congenital hamartomas based on clinicopathological and embryological observations. We have used a polymerase chain reaction-based assay for nonrandom X chromosome inactivation to infer the clonality of three cogenital sacrococcygeal tumors previously diagnosed as teratomas. One solid immature teratoma was monoclonal, and a predominantly cystic histologically mature mass was polyclonal. A third immature teratoma was noninformative because of baseline asymmetry of polyclonal tissue X inactivation. We confirm that immature teratomas at this site appear to be monoclonal neoplasms and suggest that at least some histologically mature "teratomas" are more appropriately classified as hamartomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Sinnock
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Perez-Atayde
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Boynton
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Mutter
mesh_terms: D003001:Cloning, Molecular / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000032:analysis; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000151:congenital* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012445:Sacrococcygeal Region / Q000473:pathology*; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000151:congenital* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D013724:Teratoma / Q000151:congenital* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D011944:Receptors, Androgen