title: [Sacrococcygeal teratoma: single center experience and functional long-term follow-up].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To propose long-term follow-up protocol to analyse clinical and functional aspects and evaluate the Quality of Life (QoL) of patients with Sacrococcygeal Teratoma (SCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  The long-term follow-up of 14 out of 28 patients has been assessed through the retrospective review of data related to antenatal diagnosis, obstetric pathology and surgery, collected from July 1985 to December 2009. It has been accomplished by analysing functional and aesthetic outcomes and the QoL experienced by the patients with an average observation range of 121 months for each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Concerning the anorectal functionality, 14% of patients reported impairment of fecal continence while 36% had completely normal bowel habits. Other health problems varying from urinary incontinence to neurogenic bladder were reported by 36% of patients. Dealing with the functionality of lower limbs, 20% of patients exhibited minor dysfunctions while 7% major ones. Optimal aesthetic outcome of the surgical scar has been reported only by 21% of the specimen. The evaluation of QoL pointed out that 64% of patients are moderately satisfied while 36% presented problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe that functional sequelae should play an important role during antenatal counselling and that the urological and anorectal follow-up for SCT patients should be long-term evaluated. Furthermore, aesthetic aspects and psychological support should be taken into account carefully especially during childhood.
authors.affiliation: U.O. Chirurgia Pediatrica, Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", Roma, Italia. camanzoni@tin.it
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manzoni
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Canali
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Narciso
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nanni
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pintus
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012445:Sacrococcygeal Region; D013724:Teratoma / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery