Bilateral malignant teratoma of the mediastinum: case report

The authors report a case of bilateral malignant teratoma of the mediastinu m in a 40 year old female presenting with chest pain. Two separate bilatera l soft tissue masses were noted in the mediastinum at imaging. On the right side, the mass was heterogeneous with large calcification and infiltration of the pericardium. On the left side, the mass was well defined, heterogen eous and without evidence of local invasion. The analysis of samples obtain ed by US guided puncture biopsy and surgical specimen of the two masses con firmed the diagnosis of pluricellular malignant teratoma. Mediastinal malig nant teratomas represent 1 to 5% of all mediastinal tumors. To our knowledg e, no case of synchronous bilateral mediastinal teratoma has never been rep orted.