LATE OCCURRENCE OF MALIGNANCY FOLLOWING RESECTION OF A HISTOLOGICALLYMATURE SACROCOCCYGEAL TERATOMA - REPORT OF A CASE AND LITERATURE-REVIEW

A sacrococcygeal adenocarcinoma is reported in a male patient nearly 4 0 years old following resection of a histologically mature sacrococcyg eal teratoma. The adenocarcinoma arose within soft tissue of the presa cral area and residual coccyx and extensively invaded the coccygeal st ump that had not been removed in toto with the teratoma during initial surgery at 2 months of age. The patient died nearly 2 years later wit h local and regional recurrence of tumor and metastases to lymph nodes , liver, lung, bone, and brain. At autopsy there was no evidence of or igin from deep internal organs such as the stomach, pancreas, or other sites. Brief comments are made about malignant tumors complicating sa crococcygeal teratomas in both the pediatric age group and adults, and attention is focused on other lesions entering into the differential diagnosis, particularly retrorectal cyst/hamartoma or tailgut cysts. T his case underscores an extremely rare but potentially fatal outcome o f a patient with sacrococcygeal teratoma.