A large presacral tailgut cyst with a carcinoid tumor in a male: report of a case

• Published in: Surgery today (Tokyo, Japan) Vol. 44; no. 5; pp. 961 - 966
• Main Authors: Charalampakis, Vasileios, Stamatiou, Dimitrios, Christodoulakis, Manousos, Kafousi, Maria, Chryssou, Evangelia, de Bree, Eelco, Melissas, John
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Springer Japan 01-05-2014
• Subjects: Adult; Carcinoid Tumor - diagnosis; Carcinoid Tumor - etiology; Carcinoid Tumor - pathology; Carcinoid Tumor - surgery; Case Report; Cysts - congenital; Cysts - diagnosis; Cysts - pathology; Cysts - surgery; Diagnostic Imaging; Digestive System Surgical Procedures; Female; Humans; Intestinal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Intestinal Neoplasms - etiology; Intestinal Neoplasms - pathology; Intestinal Neoplasms - surgery; Laparotomy; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Rectal Diseases - congenital; Rectal Diseases - diagnosis; Rectal Diseases - pathology; Rectal Diseases - surgery; Rectal Neoplasms - diagnosis; Rectal Neoplasms - etiology; Rectal Neoplasms - pathology; Rectal Neoplasms - surgery; Surgery; Surgical Oncology; Male; Carcinoid; Presacral; Tailgut cyst
• ISSN: 0941-1291; 1436-2813
• DOI: 10.1007/s00595-012-0482-4

Tailgut cysts are developmental hamartomas found in the presacral space. They are usually detected incidentally during physical examinations or imaging studies. However, they may cause symptoms due to compression of nearby organs. Due to their potential malignant transformation, surgical resection is warranted, while routine biopsy is considered controversial because of the concern about infection of the tailgut cyst and needle-track implantation of malignant cells. The co-existence of a carcinoid in a tailgut cyst is extremely rare. Only 16 cases have been reported previously, the vast majority of which were found in females. We herein present the case of a carcinoid in a tailgut cyst found in a male patient, discuss the potential pathogenesis of tailgut carcinoids, and underline the fact that their previous consideration of the condition as a female-restricted entity should be rejected.