Benign Congenital Neoplasms: Dermoids and Teratomas

Pathological Case of the Month

“…3 They are to be distinguished from the more common, although still rare, teratomas that develop from embryonic tissue, are foreign to the area in which they occur, and contain all 3 primitive germ cell layers, and dermoid polyps or hairy polyps that are composed of ectoderm and mesoderm and are believed to be inclusion errors in the fusion of the lateral palatine processes. 2,4,5 These 3 rare malformations are most commonly seen in neonates. Most infants present with respiratory distress, difficulty feeding, or both.…”

Bilateral hairy polyp of the oropharynx

“…Hairy polyps or 'dermoids' are described as one of the four subclasses of teratomas which include also the true trigerminal teratomas forming organoid structures, the extremely rare epignathy and the teratoids whose structure is partially composed of immature tissues (Arnold, 1870). Their size and location influence the clinical picture they can give rise to and, by consequence, their more or less precocious detection (Calcaterra, 1969;Felder, 1975). Although hairy polyps are reported to occur singularly (McShane et al, 1989) in our case they were symmetrically bilateral, located in the oropharynx close to the tonsillar fossa.…”

The S.C. ‘Hairy Polyp’ or ‘Dermoid’ of the nasopharynx

“…The s.c. hairy polyp of the nasopharynx may vary greatly in size. Usually it is detected very early in life, because of difficulties in breathing and the slowness or absence of growth suggests and deglutition (Calcaterra, 1969;Felder, 1975) that it is a malformation and not a neoplasm, and the diagnosis is made during the first year of life in over half the cases (Hjertaas et al, 1979). Summary The occurrence of this form of 'tumor' in routine A case of 'hairy polyp' or 'dermoid' of the otorhinolaryngologic examination after the 20th nasopharynx in a 71-year-old man is described, year of life is exceptional (Foxwell and Kelham, This tumor-like condition is usually discovered at 1958).…”