Sacrococcygeal teratoma in adults: case reports and a review of the literature

Background: The sacrococcygeal area is the most frequent site of teratoma in infants, but it is a rare location for teratoma in adults.

Methods: The authors report two patients in their sixth decade of life with the pathologic diagnosis of sacrococcygeal teratoma. The clinical presentations, the histologic findings, and the patients' clinical outcomes are described. A review of the literature on sacrococcygeal teratoma in adults is also presented.

Results: In the first patient, who had no evidence of recurrence after adequate resection, examination of the specimens showed mature teratoma. The second patient had mature teratoma with adenocarcinomatous component and possible leptomeningeal involvement. She died 2 months after the operation.

Conclusions: Although rare in adults, sacrococcygeal teratoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with a pelvic mass presenting with obstructive symptoms. These two cases suggest that sacrococcygeal mature teratoma is surgically curable if teratoma is completely resected. The presence of leptomeningeal involvement and malignant transformation are associated with a less favorable outcome.