Long-term functional results following resection of neonatal sacrococcygeal teratoma

Abstract

Functional results after resection of neonatal SCT are excellent, with only a small number of patients reporting problems with fecal or urinary continence, or lower extremity weakness. Constipation is relatively common. This information is important for counseling families with fetal or neonatal SCT.

The long-term outcome of patients diagnosed with sacrococcygeal teratoma in childhood. A study of a national cohort

“…There was a trend for this to improve with time with a lower incidence in the older group (8% vs 26%), however, this was not statistically significant. Rintala et al 3 reported soiling in 27% of adults who were operated upon for benign SCT, although other authors have reported a much lower rate of soiling 2 4. Constipation was the most common reported symptom in our patients (39%).…”

“…Sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is the commonest solid neonatal tumour with an incidence of 1:40 000 live births,1 2 and has a clear female predominance of 3:1 1. SCT arises from the totipotential cells in the primitive streak in the coccygeal region.…”

Tumor markers AFP, CA 125, and CA 19-9 in the long-term follow-up of sacrococcygeal teratomas in infancy and childhood

“…Recurrences are often malignant [13]. Even though long-term follow-up studies in the management of SCT have been reported [14,15], experience in tumor marker follow-up has been limited to the use of serum AFP [10,16]. However, several other potential serum markers have been recognized [5].…”

Benign sacrococcygeal teratoma with spinal canal invasion and paraplegia

“…Outcomes after surgical resection in the neonatal period are generally favorable, although tumor recurrence with malignant transformation can occur in 10% to 20% of patients [10]. Although severe distal motor deficits are unusual after resection, other neurologic sequelae can be commonly observed and include subtle abnormalities in gait disturbance as well as fecal and/or urinary dysfunction in up to 50% of patients [11][12][13][14][15][16][17].…”