[Mature teratome of the mediastinum]

The aim of this retrospective study was to report a series of 12 cases of mature teratoma of the mediastinum operated during a 10-year period in the same center.

From 1990 to 2000, 12 patients (7 females and 5 males with a mean age of 32 years) were operated for mature mediastinal teratoma. Chest pain was present in 10 cases; cough, dyspnea and septic episodes were present in 5 cases and X-ray detected the mediastinal tumor in 10 cases. CT scan showed a tumor with liquid and fatty components and calcifications in 5 out of 9 cases. Tumors were resected via a posterolateral thoracotomy in 11 cases and an anterior thoracotomy in one case, associated with pneumonectomy in 1 case, basal segmentectomy in 1 case and thymectomy in 1 case.

There were no postoperative deaths. Morbidity included 2 phrenic nerve palsies, 1 pyothorax after pneumonectomy, 1 case of bleeding and 1 pleural effusion. No recurrences have been observed with a follow-up of 5 to 87 months. Nine of the 10 tumors reviewed by pathologist contained multiple tissue components and one only contained a single tissue.

Mature teratomas are usually detected in young patients: they are usually located in the middle part of the anterior mediastinum and are only diagnosed by pathologic examination of the specimen. They have an excellent prognosis when tumor resection is complete and in the absence of immature tissue in the tumor.