Gastric teratoma is an extremely rare tumor that accounts for less than 1% of all teratomas. Gastric teratoma is mostly presented as a palpable abdominal mass, and is rarely accompanied with gastrointestinal bleeding such as melena or hematemesis. A 5-month-old male infant was brought with a history of pale facial color and dark-colored stool. The hemoglobin level was at 6.1 g/dL, with melena having begun 1 month previous. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a polypoid mass with bleeding at the upper body and lesser curvature of the stomach. Wedge resection of the stomach was performed and histopathological analysis confirmed the mass to be a mature cystic teratoma. There was no recurrence after the operation during follow-up.

The purposes of this study was to describe the clinical correlation of mass size and gestational age, prognostic factors in sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) at a tertiary pediatric surgery, University of Ulsan College of Medicine and Asan Medical Center (AMC), Seoul, Korea. Fifty five patients admitted to the AMC with a SCT between May 1989 and April 2013 were included in this retrospective review. Mean follow up was 861 days. Mean maternal age at delivery was 30 ± 2.7 year, mean gestational age (GA) was 36.9 ± 3.6wks, and preterm delivery was 21.8%. Birth body weight was 3182 ± 644 g and male vs. female ratio was 1:2.05. We can't find significant difference between Caesarean section and maternal age at delivery (p = 0.817). But, caesarean section was favored by gestational age (p = 0.002), larger tumor size (p = 0.029) or higher tumor weight fraction rate to birth body weight (p = 0.024). Type I was 13, II 21, III 17, and IV 3 according to Altman et al. classification. The tumor component was predominantly cystic(>50%) in 73.1%. And the majority histological classification of tumors were mature teratoma (70.3%). The motality rate was 5.5%. Three patients expired because of postpartum bleeding, post-op bleeding related complication such as DIC. SCT recurred in four patients. The interval between first and second operation was 206.2 ± 111.0 d (range 53~325 d). In two patients, serum AFP levels were elevated at a regular checkup without any symptom, and subsequent imaging studies revealed SCT. The most common cause of death was bleeding and bleeding related complication. So Caesarean section and active peripartum and perioperative management will be needed for huge solid SCT. In the case of Yolk sac tumor or huge immature teratoma, possibility of recurrence have to be always considered, so follow up by serial AFP and MRI is important for SCT management.

Teratomas arising from totipotential primitive germ cell are composed of 2 or 3 germ cell layers. We reviewed the records of 166 children who underwent the operation for teratoma from Jan, 1990 through April, 2007. There were 40 boys and 126 girls (average age 6.93±5.83 years). Primary sites were ovary (n=88), sacrococcygeum (n=24), testis (n=16), retroperitoneum (n=16), mediastinum (n=8), brain (n=4), thymus (n=3) and a single tumor involved the adrenal gland, neck, middle ear, oropharynx, stomach, pelvis, omentum, chest wall and scalp. Teratomas were mature in 141 patients, and immature in 25. Six patients who had ovarian immature teratomas grade 2 or 3 with peritoneal gliomatosis underwent adjuvant chemotherapy. During follow up period, 6 mature teratomas recurred at sacrococcygeal area (n=1) and contralateral ovary (n=5). Five patients of them underwent reoperation and diagnosed as a mature teratoma, but one who had underwent a left salpingooophrectomy with right ovary cystectomy at initial operation was observed carefully. Teratomas were dominant in female patients and developed at various organs. Complete excision was needed for good prognosis. In case of immature teratoma, complete excision and appropriate chemotherapy according to grading can contribute to favorable results.

Mature cystic teratoma, commonly called dermoid cyst, is the most common benign germ cell tumor of the ovary in children. Malignant transformation is rare, approximately 2%. As laparoscopic procedures are applied widely in pediatric surgery, a female chlid with a mature cystic teratoma may be an ideal candidate for laparoscopic surgery. Two children received laparoscopic operations successfuly for lower abdominal crises, twisted adnexa. There was no operative complication. Laparoscopic approach for ovarian lesions in infancy and childhood appears to be an effective and safe method for diagnosis as well as definitive therapy.

The teratoma is a unique complex neoplasm and is one of the most frequent pediatric tumors originated from the extragonadal germ cells. Mature teratoma is composed of mature differentiated tissues, while immature teratoma always contains embryonic tissues of variable degrees of immaturity, especially in the neuroepithelial elements. Diagnosis of teratoma is relatively easy by conventional radiologic study, but the immaturity can be identified only by histopathological examination. Between January 1993 to December 2002, 63 cases of teratoma were operated and analysed retrospectively at the Chonnam University Hospital Female to male ratio was about 3:1 and age distribution was relatively even. Among 63 cases, gonadal teratoma was the most common (52.4%), followed by sacrococcygeal (25.4%), retroperitoneal (9.5%) and mediastinal teratoma (9.5%). Fifty-six cases were mature teratomas and seven were immature teratomas. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was elevated in 4 of 6 immature cases, but in 2 of 51 mature ones Elevated AFP progressively returned to normal range by 1 month after operation in all. Complete excision of the mass was performed, and major complication was not noticed. In five immature cases, PEB chemotherapy (Cisplatin, Etoposide, Bleomycin) was performed. Two of 2 cases in histological grade II were well tolerated to the aggressive chemotherapy. One of three cases in grade III expired due to severe bone marrow depression, and two of them expired by tumor recurrences. In conclusion, immature teratoma in histological grade III showed high potentiality of recurrence. Therefore, postoperative chemotherapy has to be applied to the high graded immature tumors.

Although intraperitoneal teratomas are rare, teratomas of the greater omentuma are seldom reported. A single case of omental teratoma with torsion in a 26-month-old girl is reported. The patient presented with abdominal pain and a palpable mass. Ultrasonography and CT of the abdomen showed a large cystic mass with a non homgenious solid component composed of fat and calcification. The lesion was surgically excised. Pathology revealed a mature omental teratoma. The hospital course was uneventful.

Among 60 children with teratoma, forty-three (71.7 percent) were girls and 17 (28.3 percent) boys. Primary sites were sacrococcygeal in 30 patients (50 percent), retroperitoneal in 12 (20 percent), ovarian in 11 (18.3 percent), testicular in 3 (5 percent), and one in each of nasopharyngeal, gastric, hepatic and pancreatic (1.6 percent, respectively). Fifty-five (91.7 percent) teratomas were benign and 5 (8.3 percent) malignant. Malignant teratomas were detected only at sacrococcygeal region (16.7 percent). Older than 2 months of age at diagnosis, presence of urinary and colonic obstructive symptoms, multiple masses and elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein were indicators of malignancy in sacrococcygeal region. Tumor size, presence of calcification, and gross appearance (cystic or solid) did not correlate with malignant nature. Thirteen (21.7 percent) cases were associated with other anomalies. For the immature teratoma, the operative resection without adjuvant chemotherapy was enough. Three malignant cases were survived, one with chemotheapy for 3 years and the others without chemotherapy for 5 and 10 years.

Pediatric surgeons are familiar with the posterior sagittal approach to the rectum at sacrococcygeal area and well oriented with the anatomy because of the Penal procedure for imperforate anus. The author utilized the posterior vertical elliptical incisions in 12 cases of sacrococcygeal teratoma since 1987. For presacral tumor(type IV)², the incision was exactly same as the posterior sagittal procedure for imperforate anus. But the out-growing(type I) or dumbbell-shaped(type II & III) tumors, a vertical elliptical incision was required. For the laterally deviated tumors, a vertical and half-chevron incision was utilized in one case, but an unbalanced vertical elliptical incision was acceptable for the remaining two cases, with shrinkage of the overlying skin. In dumbbell-shaped tumors(type II & III), the narrow waist of the tumor was at the level of the levator muscle, which formed a muscle-belt on the tumor waist. A careful dissection to save the muscle-belt seemed to be the most important point during this procedure, utilizing the nerve-stimulator. After complete removal of the tumor and the coccyx, the levator muscles and the skin were closed in vertical fashion along the midline. For the caudally extending tumors in 3 cases, the muscle complex was divided in midline. Nothing by mouth and total parenteral nutrition was maintained for 1 week and then laxatives were given for 2 weeks in order to give the sphincters rest. Operative scars were acceptable resembling natural vertical midline folds, and the sphincter function was continent in all cases. In conclusion, vertical elliptical incision in sacrococcygeal teratoma is recommended because of the acceptable scar, functional restoration, and because it is a familiar procedure particularly for the pediatric surgeons who are accustomed performing posterior sagittal approach for imperforate anus.

Teratoma contains elements derived from all three embryonic germ layers and mature teratomas are entirely composed of mature differentiated tissues, while immature types always contain additional embryonic tissues of variable degree of immaturity, especially neuroepithelial elements. Twenty cases of teratoma in infancy and childhood were reviewed and the clinical features and pathologic findings including PCNA expression were studied. Sacrococcygeal teratomas were the most common type(45%), followed by retroperitoneal and ovarian teratomas. There was. a predilection of females in a ratio of 4:1 and age distribution was most prevalent below the first year of age(45%). But in ovarian teratomas, the age at diagnosis was above 4 years of age in all cases. Serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were checked in 18 cases. In all mature teratomas and 1 of 5 immature teratomas, the levels were normal. But in 4 of 5 immature teratomas, the serum levels were elevated and progressively declined to normal range after mass excision.

Radiologically, calcifications in tumor were found in 60.0% of teratomas and was higher in mature teratomas(69.2%) than immature teratomas(42.9%). Immunohistochemical staining for PCNA(proliferating cell nuclear antigen) was done in 16 cases and PCNA expression was higher in grade III immature teratomas than grade I and II.

The operative modes were complete mass excisions. Five immature teratomas were treated with multiagent PEB(Bleomycin, Etoposide, Cisplatin) adjuvant chemotherapy, 3 tolerated well without significant complications, but in one case, severe bone marrow suppression was developed and died of sepsis.

In conclusion, grade III immature teratoma showed higher PCNA expression than mature or lower grade immature teratoma, which suggests that chemotherapy after surgical excision may be effective modality for grade III immature teratoma. We think, however, multicenter study is necessary because of low incidence of immature teratoma.