Sacrococcygeal teratoma. Outcome and management. An analysis of 17 cases.
OBJECTIVE
The authors compare their experience of 17 cases of sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) with the literature in an attempt to clarify the natural history of this tumor and to identify factors related to its prognosis and management.


METHODS
The obstetrical, neonatal and surgical data were analyzed for 17 cases of SCT observed between July 1985 and December 1998.


RESULTS
Three fetuses died in utero or shortly after birth. In the remaining 14, the tumors were removed. Twelve of the infants are currently tumor-free, with good sphincter control and lower-limb function. The remaining two died: one had a malignant tumor, and the other had a recurrence of an embryonal carcinoma. Recurrent tumors (mature histotypes) were also removed from two of the 12 patients who survived.


CONCLUSIONS
Benign SCTs generally have favorable prognosis. Negative prognostic factors for SCT include solid tumors, those detected early in pregnancy, malignant histotypes, polyhydramnios, placentomegaly, and fetal hydrops.
Perrelli
Luigi
L
Division of Pediatric Surgery, Catholic University of The Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
D'Urzo
Carmine
C
Manzoni
Carlo
C
Pintus
Claudio
C
De Santis
Marco
M
Masini
Lucia
L
Noia
Giuseppe
G
D001724:Birth Weight; D003050:Coccyx; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011379:Prognosis; D012447:Sacrum; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D013724:Teratoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome