Experience in the treatment of giant teratoma at the base of the skull

For our teratoma, in clinical practice, it is generally asymptomatic, and when it grows up, there may be symptoms of abdominal distension. Some patients also have mild abdominal pain and compression symptoms. Therefore, this disease must be treated in time. Here we will introduce to you our experience in treating giant teratoma of the skull base and neck.

The contents of a general teratoma are composed of a variety of mature tissues from 2 to 3 germ layers, most of which are ectodermal tissues. In life, what are the treatments for giant teratomas at the base of the skull and neck? They mainly include the following points.

For the treatment of this disease, we can use preoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy to shrink the tumor and then postpone radical surgery, which is of positive significance to improving the surgical resection rate and preserving important organs. For advanced cases, the use of preoperative chemotherapy or radiotherapy can also achieve the therapeutic purpose of relieving tumor compression, controlling metastatic lesions, and gaining opportunities for reoperation.

Treatment options for different types of teratoma include:

1. Intracranial teratoma Benign teratoma is only surgically removed, but it is important to emphasize the three-dimensional multi-point sampling of pathological specimens to avoid missing the malignant components. If it can be completely removed, it is expected to be cured. Since the tumor is often located in the midline, it is difficult to completely remove it by surgery. If it cannot be completely removed, cerebrospinal fluid shunt surgery can be performed as appropriate to relieve obstructive hydrocephalus. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are ineffective for benign teratoma. For immature and malignant teratomas, chemotherapy is performed first and then radiotherapy. If the tumor has not disappeared after reexamination, surgical resection is performed, and chemotherapy is continued for 2 courses after surgery.

2. Gastric teratoma Rumen teratoma is mostly benign and has a good prognosis if surgically removed early. Long-term follow-up is required after surgery, and AFP should be checked regularly. If there is no decrease or it increases after a decrease, it indicates recurrence or metastasis, and further treatment is required.

3. Testicular teratoma Surgery is the preferred treatment for testicular teratoma.

Once a teratoma is diagnosed, early surgical resection is necessary to prevent benign teratoma from becoming malignant due to delayed surgery, and to prevent infection, rupture, bleeding and complications. The key point of teratoma surgery is to completely remove the tumor. For ovarian and testicular tumors, one ovary or testicle should be removed. For sacrococcygeal teratoma, the coccyx must be removed at the same time to avoid residual pluripotent cells that may cause tumor recurrence.