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Published on: June 11, 2019
Asymptomatic intrapericardial mature teratoma
Michel Gonzalez1, Thorsten Krueger, Stephan C Schaefer
1Department of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Switzerland. Michel.Gonzalez@chuv.ch
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
|May 25, 2010
Summary
A rare intrapericardial teratoma, a type of germ cell tumor, was incidentally found in an asymptomatic 51-year-old woman. This contrasts with typical infantile diagnoses due to heart compression symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Oncology
- Thoracic Surgery
Background:
- Benign mature teratomas are common anterior mediastinal germ cell tumors.
- Intrapericardial teratomas are an uncommon presentation, typically diagnosed in infancy.
- Infantile cases often present with cardiac compression symptoms.
Observation:
- A rare case of intrapericardial mature teratoma is presented.
- The tumor was incidentally discovered.
- The patient was a 51-year-old asymptomatic woman.
Findings:
- This case represents a rare instance of an incidentally discovered intrapericardial mature teratoma in an adult.
- The absence of symptoms in this adult patient is noteworthy.
- Highlights the varied clinical presentations of germ cell tumors.
Implications:
- Suggests that intrapericardial teratomas may be underdiagnosed in adults.
- Emphasizes the importance of considering germ cell tumors in adult cardiac or mediastinal imaging findings.
- Warrants further investigation into the natural history and diagnostic criteria for adult intrapericardial teratomas.
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