Teratoma of the lumbosacral region: A case report

Abstract

Introduction. Teratoma is a tumor that usually arises from one or more germ layers. They are most commonly found in the sacrococcygeal region and have a female preponderance. We present a very rare case of a boy with a benign cystic teratoma in the lumbosacral region. Case presentation. A 16-year-old Indian boy presented to our hospital with a history of a lump in the lower back region since birth. Initially, it was small, but its size increased gradually over time to a size of 15 cm × 15 cm at presentation. There were no other associated abnormalities. Investigations revealed the lump to be a benign cystic teratoma. The patient underwent surgery, and the whole tumor, from its base to the vertebrae, was excised. Bisection of the tumor revealed that it contained hair and pultaceous material consistent with a teratoma, which was later confirmed by histopathologic examination. Conclusion: Benign cystic teratomas should be diagnosed and managed aggressively because they generally have a greater tendency to progress toward malignancy. After extensively searching the case report database, we arrived at the conclusion that this was a rare case of a benign cystic teratoma in the lumbosacral region in a boy. © 2011 Faheem et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.