title: [Diagnosis and surgical treatment of the primary mediastinal teratoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the experience of diagnosis and surgical treatment of the primary mediastinal teratomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data of forty-nine cases with teratoma were retrospectively analysed from March 1996 to March 2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on history, physical examination, chest X-ray, CT scan and magnetic resonance, the diagnosis of forty-eight cases were confirmed before surgery. Surgical procedures were performed in all cases. Forty-six patients were subjected to radical excision, two patients to partial excision and one patient to exploratory operation. Among all the cases, Wedge resection of the lung was performed in eight cases, partial pericardium excision in six cases. There was no surgically related mortality or complications in any patients. The diagnosis of teratoma was confirmed by postoperative histopathological examination. No relapse occurred during follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  History, physical examination and radiological imaging are the main diagnostic means for the primary mediastinal teratoma. Surgical resection is an effective therapy. Early diagnosis and correct selection of operation according to the characteristic of the tumor are important to therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, General Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100853, China. thoracic_zt@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Nai-kang
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Chao-yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Xi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013724:Teratoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*