In utero decompression of a cystic grade IV sacrococcygeal teratoma

• Published in: Fetal diagnosis and therapy Vol. 13; no. 5; p. 305
• Main Authors: Garcia, A M, Morgan, 3rd, W M, Bruner, J P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 01-09-1998
• Subjects: Adult; Decompression; Female; Fetal Diseases - therapy; Gestational Age; Humans; Hydronephrosis - etiology; Hydronephrosis - surgery; Infant, Newborn; Pregnancy; Sacrococcygeal Region; Teratoma - complications; Teratoma - diagnosis; Teratoma - therapy; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; Ureteral Obstruction - etiology; Ureteral Obstruction - surgery
• ISSN: 1015-3837
• DOI: 10.1159/000020859

Sacrococcygeal teratomas (SCT) are the most common congenital tumors in the newborn. The prevalence rate is approximately 1 per 40,000 births, with 80% occurring in females. The majority of these tumors are external, protruding from the perineal region. Intrapelvic SCTs, by contrast, are extremely rare and difficult to diagnose in utero. Only 15% of the SCTs are entirely cystic, the majority being mixed or solid tumors. We describe a case of a fetal cystic presacral (grade IV) SCT, discovered at 22 weeks of gestation, which resulted in bilateral ureteral obstruction and hydronephrosis. This is the first known reported case of prenatally decompressing a cystic SCT via an amniotic catheter to alleviate a mass effect in the fetus.