Sacrococcygeal teratoma: management and outcomes

Background/aim Sacrococcygeal teratomas are the most
common tumor during the neonatal period. They are either
benign (mature) or malignant (immature, composed of
embryonic elements). This retrospective study aims at
reviewing our experience in management and outcome of
this pathology during the period from January 2008 to
November 2013.
Patients and methods Charts were designed to collect
the following data: the age at presentation, sex, clinical
presentation, associated anomalies, Altman’s
classification, investigations, management modality, tumor
histology with respect to type and resection margins,
outcome of treatment, and bowel or urinary complications.
Results A total of 20 patients were included in this study.
There were six male patients and 14 female patients. Ten
patients were Altman type I, seven were type II, one was
type III, and two were type IV. Surgical intervention was
carried out using a posterior sacral approach in 17 patients
(all type I and II patients) or combined abdominal and
posterior sacral approaches in the remaining three patients
(types III and IV). Recurrence occurred in two patients;
these were types III and IV. We had one mortality. Two
patients reported involuntary bowel movements, two
reported frequent soiling, and five reported constipation.