GROWING TERATOMA SYNDROME

Growing teratoma syndrome is the term applied to enlarging retroperito neal or other metastatic masses containing mature teratoma during chem otherapy for nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. Four cases of the growi ng teratoma syndrome are presented, the metastatic masses being in the retroperitoneum in all the cases. All these patients had enlarging re troperitoneal masses in the presence of normal serum biomarkers follow ing chemotherapy for nonseminomatous tumors. Surgical excision was car ried out in all four patients, with disease free survivals ranging fro m 6 to 24 months after surgery. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.