Growing teratoma syndrome

Growing teratoma syndrome
Specialty	Urology
Treatment	Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection

Growing teratoma syndrome is a rare complication of teratoma that can occur when an immature testicular ^[1] or ovarian germ cell teratoma is treated by chemotherapy. ^[2]

The masses are benign, but can grow quickly. They are usually found in the retroperitoneum but can be in the lung, cervical lymph nodes, mediastinum, supraclavicular lymph nodes, inguinal lymph nodes, forearm, mesentery, liver, and pineal gland. ^[1]

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is based on:

• normal serum tumor markers (alpha fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotropin)
• new or growing masses after chemotherapy for nonseminomatous germ cell tumors
• only mature teratoma is found in the specimen removed from the patient. ^[1]

Treatment

Treatment is by retroperitoneal lymph node dissection.

References

1. Scavuzzo, Anna; Santana Ríos, Zael Arturo; Noverón, Nancy Reynoso; Jimenez Ríos, Miguel Angel (2014). "Growing teratoma syndrome". Case Reports in Urology. 2014 139425. doi: 10.1155/2014/139425 . ISSN   2090-696X. PMC   4150507 . PMID   25197607.
2. "Ovarian Cancer". DynaMed.