Often teratomas look like cysts, or they may not be visible at all. If you see a lump on your body, you should book an appointment with your doctor. If your doctor suspects you have a teratoma, they will ask questions about your general health and medical history and do a physical exam.
Diagnosis and Tests
Imaging tests, such as X-rays, CT (computed tomography) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound to determine the size and location of the teratoma. Blood tests to check hormone levels and tumor markers. Biopsy to find out if the teratoma is cancerous or noncancerous.
Mature teratomas tend to be benign, whereas immature teratomas are more likely to undergo malignant transformation.
Mature teratomas aren't likely to become cancer. These tumors contain cells that look very similar to the normal, healthy cells in your body. In most cases, mature teratomas can be treated if the tumor can be completely removed by surgery. However, some mature teratomas can come back after they're removed.
What is a teratoma? A teratoma is a congenital (present prior to birth) tumor formed by different types of tissue. Teratomas in newborns are generally benign and don't spread. They can, however, be malignant, depending on the maturity and other types of cells that may be involved.
But Why So Toothy? Don't worry. Teratomas can grow teeth, not through dark magic, but through the normal magic of germ cells — the type of stem cell that turns into an egg or sperm cell, which in turn can produce a fetus.
During development, some of these cells may not differentiate, instead retaining the ability to turn into other cell types. This is why teratomas may feature many different body parts, such as bone, hair, or teeth, which are foreign to the location of the tumor.
“Teratoma” is Greek for “monstrous tumor”; these tumors were so named because they sometimes contain hair, teeth, bone, neurons, and even eyes.
Teratomas often contain teeth, and sometime it may present in imperfect forms as mandible or human body like structures (homunculus) [8].
Cystic teratomas of the ovary can occur in persons of any age, although they are diagnosed most frequently during the reproductive years. The peak incidence in most series is at age 20-40 years. Testicular teratomas may occur at any age but are more common in infants and children.
Although malignant degeneration is quite rare, the cyst should be removed in its entirety, and if immature elements are found, the patient should undergo a standard staging procedure.
At initial manifestation, immature teratomas are typically larger (14–25 cm) than mature cystic teratomas (average, 7 cm) (,12),(,38). They may be solid or have a prominent solid component with cystic elements (,39).
The prevalence of these tumors is estimated to be between 1 in 30,000-70,000 live births. Sacrococcygeal teratomas are the most common solid tumor found in newborn babies (neonates). The sacrococcygeal region is the most common site for a teratoma in infants. Sacrococcygeal teratomas affecting adults is extremely rare.
The most common type among these tumors is mature cystic teratoma, also known as "Dermoid cyst." Cystic teratomas constitute about 20% of ovarian germ cell tumors. The most common site of occurrence is in the ovaries and testes.
Mature cystic teratomas are usually slow-growing, with an estimated growth rate of 1.8 mm/year, [6] although some have been shown to grow more rapidly.
The five-year survival rate for stage 1 disease is 90 percent to 95 percent, while advanced stage survival drops to about 50 percent with Grade 1 to 2 cancer and to 25 percent or less when the tumors are found to be Grade 3.
The largest reported teratoma was 18 inches by 10 inches (45 by 25 centimeters), removed from a 74-year-old woman, according to one review.
Teratomas develop from germ cells in the gonad (and that is the most common location of teratomas), or from aberrant ectopic nests of germ cells in the abdominal midline or central nervous system.
Brain cells are often found in ovarian teratomas, but it is extremely unusual for them to organise themselves into proper brain-like structures, says Masayuki Shintaku at the Shiga Medical Centre for Adults in Japan, who studied the tumour.
Diagnosis. At CT and MRI, an immature teratoma possesses characteristic appearance. It is typically large (12–25 cm) and has prominent solid components with cystic elements. It is usually filled with lipid constituents and therefore demonstrates fat density at CT and MRI.
Mature cystic teratoma of the pancreas is an extremely rare benign neoplasm. Only 51 cases have been reported in the literature. Its cystic nature often appears to have malignant potential in preoperative image studies.
These tumors are usually multicystic and contain hair intermixed with foul-smelling, sticky, keratinous and sebaceous debris.
One of the largest tumors ever taken out of a human was a 303-pound ovarian tumor removed at Stanford Hospital in 1991, according to a 1994 report. In the newly reported case, physicians removed the 132-pound tumor as well as 6 pounds of abdominal wall tissue and excess skin that had been stretched by the tumor.
A pure teratoma in a male is very rare, and about one-third of cases are mixed germ cell tumors. Mature teratomas in post-pubertal males look like solid testicular tumors macroscopically. A disorganized arrangement of cells is seen microscopically.