Search

Teratomas of the head and neck are uncommon congenital lesions, which are rarely seen in the soft palate. We here reported a male neonate with a soft palate teratoma associated with soft palate cleft. The most common presenting symptom of oral teratoma is feeding problems. The tumour looks like a mushroom, and was successfully treated with surgery. Feeding returned to normal by removing the mass, and the patient is under follow up for selective operation of the cleft palate. This case is unique because teratoma in a mushroom shape was not reported before., (Copyright 2010 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We report on a male infant with extensive, bilateral cystic and solid lung lesions who presented postnatally with respiratory distress caused by bilateral cystic lung lesions. Parenchyma-sparing resections were performed. Histology revealed the presence of neuroglial cell-lined cysts and glial nodules. In addition, a neural element containing palatinal teratoma was detected and excised. Based on previously published cases, the pathogenesis and clinical features of pulmonary neuroglial heterotopia are discussed.

Congenital teratoma is a rare malformation, and few papers have been published about it. We present a large teratoma that arose from the hard palate in a neonate. The obstructive mass caused maternal polyhydramnios and was identified prenatally by ultrasonography. The mother went into labour at 35 week's gestation at home. The child was in respiratory distress as a result of airway obstruction, and a tracheostomy was done when she was 4hours old. She also had major cardiac abnormalities. The palatal mass was removed successfully at 4 weeks of age. The typical components of a teratoma were identified including immature neural glial tissue.

Epignathus is an extremely rare, benign, congenital teratoma that arises from within the oral cavity and may be attached to the mandible, palate, or base of the skull. Because of its location, it can cause airway and feeding problems, as well as secondary defects due to the presence of an intraoral tumor. This tumor usually causes death in neonates, due to airway obstruction. Surgical removal is usually impossible, especially in large tumors (Stone, 1951; Bennett, 1970). A patient with a neonatally diagnosed nonobstructive palatopharyngeal epignathus is described. It was associated with a shortened palate, cleft uvula, and velopharyngeal insufficiency, and was successfully excised surgically.

A case of epignathus combined with cleft palate, lobulated tongue, and lingual hamartoma is reported. A newborn female presented with a large skin-covered mass arising from the palate, cleft palate, and lobulated tongue with a soybean-sized lingual lesion. The palatal and lingual masses were removed on the 9th day after birth. A cystic lesion was also found on the nasal septum after removal of the palatal mass; this lesion was resected at its base. Glossoplasty was performed after excision of the lingual lesion. Histologically, the palatal mass was diagnosed as epignathus. The cystic lesion was suspected to be meningothelial tissues on the basis of hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and immunohistochemical staining: Vimentin and epithelial membrane antigen were positive, and factor VIII was negative. The mass of the tongue dorsum was diagnosed as hamartoma. No recurrence of epignathus or evidence of meningocele have been observed after 5 years of follow up.

We report an example of sacrococcygeal teratoma presenting as a "supernumerary limb" in the left gluteal area with a rudimentary hemipelvis, femur, tibia, fibula, and tarsal bones. This monocephalus tripus dibrachius-appearing complex with associated with a deep seated but separate pararectal mature teratoma. This combination of a well-developed external limb with a deep but separate teratoma has been described.

A stillborn male infant with massive epignathus showed placental enlargement, hydramnios, and hydrops. These changes are thought to be due to cardiac decompensation from circulation of the large vascular tumor mass. Y bodies present in the tumor suggest a mitotic origin for epignathi from host cells.