Mature presacral teratoma in an adult male: A case report

Presacral teratomas are rare tumors derived from more than one embryonic ge rm layer and are usually diagnosed in infancy. It has been estimated that t he incidence of presacral teratoma in children ranges from 1 in 30,000 to 1 in 43,000 live births. However, the diagnosis of these tumors in adults is extremely rare. H. Head et al. reviewed the world literature in 1975 and f ound only 71 reported cases. Since that time, an additional 14 cases have b een reported, and only one of these was found in the United States. This st udy reports a case of an adult male who presented with recurrent infected p ilonidal cysts that proved to be benign presacral teratoma at biopsy. The p atient underwent resection by left hemisacrectomy and primary closure using a posterior approach and, since this procedure, has had no evidence of rec urrence. The case is presented along with a review of the relevant literatu re.