title: Teratomas: a multimodality review.
abstract: Germ cell tumors (GCTs) may occur in both children and adults and include a broad array of histologic subtypes, such as teratoma, seminoma (known as dysgerminoma in the ovary and germinoma in the pineal gland), choriocarcinoma, yolk sac tumor, embryonal cell carcinoma, and mixed GCT. In adults, GCTs occur most commonly in the gonads. In children, sacrococcygeal tumors predominate. Teratomas are a common form of GCT. They are defined histologically as containing tissues derived from all 3 germ cell layers: ectoderm, mesoderm (most teratomas contain fat, an imaging hallmark, which is a mesodermal derivative), and endoderm. Teratomas are also classified as mature or immature, depending on the degree of differentiation of its components, and in adults, immature tumors are more likely to exhibit malignant behavior.
authors.affiliation: Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, USA. cpeterson3@hmc.psu.edu
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Celine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holley
authors.forename: Christine O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Menias
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004701:Endocrine Gland Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006831:Polyhydramnios / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011859:Radiography; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D012445:Sacrococcygeal Region / Q000473:pathology; D013724:Teratoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult