Posterior approach (Kraske procedure) for surgical treatment of presacral tumors

Abstract

Presacral tumors are rare, but can comprise a great variety of histological types. Congenital tumors are the most common. Once the diagnosis is established, surgical resection is essential because of the potential for malignancy or infection. Previous biopsy is not necessary or may be even harmful. To decide the best surgical approach (abdominal, sacral or combined) an individual and multidisciplinary analysis must be carried out. We report three cases of cystic presacral masses in which a posterior approach (Kraske procedure) enabled complete resection, the only way to decrease local recurrence. All patients had a satisfactory recovery. A brief overview of retrorectal tumors is presented, focusing on classification, clinical presentation, diagnosis and surgical management.