Cervical neonatal teratoma in Sudan: a case report

Cervical neonatal teratomas represent rare congenital germ cell tumors originating from all embryonic layers, accounting to ~3% of childhood teratomas. The anatomical positioning of these tumours presents considerable risks both prenatally and postnatally, such as polyhydramnios, airway deviation, and obstruction. This study documents the case of a 45-day-old female neonate from South Darfur, Sudan, who exhibited a massive anterior cervical mass since birth. Imaging studies revealed a lobulated cystic formation with calcifications that were inseparable from the thyroid gland. A surgical excision of the mass was done along a total thyroidectomy and the histopathology confirmed the presence of an immature teratoma grade 2. Following the surgery, the patient was discharged under thyroid replacement therapy and demonstrated satisfactory recovery. This case underscores the diagnostic difficulties and potentially life-threatening implications associated with cervical teratomas, especially in low-resource environments.