title: Benign cystic mediastinal teratoma presenting as a massive pleural effusion in a 17-year-old boy.
abstract: Mediastinal teratomas are a rare, albeit an important differential diagnosis of anterior/middle mediastinal masses in young adults and various atypical presentations have been reported. The authors report a case of a 17-year-old boy who presented with a 2-month history of worsening shortness of breath and pleuritic chest pain. A massive left-sided pleural fluid collection was seen on a chest radiograph (CXR). The pleural fluid was drained and a CT Thorax confirmed the presence of a cystic mass. Following re-accumulation of the fluid, thoracotomy was performed and a benign mediastinal teratoma excised. The patient remained well with no evidence of recurrence on follow-up CXRs a year post operatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Mater Dei Hospital, Malta, Msida, Malta.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montebello
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mizzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Mater Dei Hospital, Malta, Msida, Malta.
authors.forename: Paul John
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cassar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Mater Dei Hospital, Malta, Msida, Malta.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cassar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015505:Chest Tubes; D000072226:Computed Tomography Angiography; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004322:Drainage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008476:Mediastinal Cyst / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D013724:Teratoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome