The presentation and management of presacral tumors

Retrorectal masses are uncommon lesions. They remain a difficult diagnostic and therapeutic challenge despite the use of newer imaging modalities and improvement in preoperative care. Although useful for planning a resection, neither CT nor MRI can provide a definitive diagnosis. The objective was to remove the entire lesion as revealed by the radiological study to avoid any recurrence of disease and malignant degeneration, but with the least amount of consequential impairment.

We present our experience with 9 (nine) presacral tumors during 10 year period 1998-2007. The files and charts of adults' patients who underwent treatment for presacral tumors were collected and retrospectively reviewed.

From January 1998 to December 2007, a total of 9 adult patients were evaluated for primary tumors originating in retrorectal space in Surgical Clinic of Oncology near University Hospital Center "Mother Teresa". Four patients were males and five were females. The diagnosis of these retrorectal tumors were, developmental tail gut cyst, teratoma, chordoma and chondrosarcoma. In six patients were achieved good results during surgical treatment. Coccygeal resection in one case. In three cases we couldn't perform sarectomy.

In conclusion, presacral tumors are uncommon. They can be congenital or acquired, benign or malignant, which forms the basis for a simple classification. Their treatment is always surgical. The good results were obtained in the benign lesions.