Management of a rare cause of neonatal airway obstruction: cervical teratoma

J Perinat Med. 2007;35(3):255-6. doi: 10.1515/JPM.2007.046.

Abstract

Cervical teratomas are rare tumors during the prenatal period. Cervical teratomas account for 1.5-5.5% of all pediatric teratomas. Both mortality and morbidity are significantly high because of airway obstruction due to a mass effect of the tumor although good results are achieved with total excision of the mass. Antenatal diagnosis by routine ultrasound (US) screening helps in preparing a team to provide airway support and surgery. We present two cases of cervical teratomas with total excision and cure and a postmortem study from our pathology laboratory. The third case, the female infant who died soon after birth, demonstrates the paramount importance of antenatal diagnosis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Airway Obstruction / etiology*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / complications
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / congenital
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / pathology
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / surgery
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Male
  • Teratoma / complications
  • Teratoma / congenital
  • Teratoma / diagnosis*
  • Teratoma / diagnostic imaging
  • Teratoma / pathology
  • Teratoma / surgery
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed