Little girls should be alert to the dangers of teratoma

Can a little girl whose body has not yet matured and who has never had menstruation grow a deformed "fetus" in her ovaries? Experts say that there is a certain incidence of ovarian teratoma in little girls, and little girls should be alert to the dangers of teratoma.

Gynecologists say that teratomas are germ cell tumors that contain oil, hair, skin, and sometimes teeth and bones. They are the most common ovarian tumors. Teratomas are more common in women of childbearing age, but in fact, children who do not have sex, women who have already menopausal, and even men may suffer from this disease. Not only that, teratomas are not limited to human ovaries. Teratomas that are shaped like a fetus may grow in the brain, lungs, waist bottom, mediastinum, and other parts of the body.

Teratoma can affect men, women, young and old

The shape of a teratoma is usually somewhat like a fetus, and it also contains hair, skin, bones, and teeth. As a tumor formed by abnormal proliferation and differentiation of human germ cells, teratoma is mostly benign and is usually more common in female patients because women have ovaries, and teratomas are most common in the ovaries.

Judging from the age distribution, women of childbearing age have a higher proportion of teratomas, but young girls who do not have sex and women who have reached menopause can also develop teratomas. Although men do not have ovaries, they can also develop teratomas.

The incidence rate is increasing

A normal fetus develops from half chromosomes from the father and half from the mother, while a teratoma comes entirely from the mother. Once activated, these germ cells can differentiate into multiple tissues and organs and develop into tumors with hair, bones, teeth, and even thyroid tissue.

In addition to the most common ovaries, teratomas may also grow in the fallopian tubes. In addition, some people's teratomas grow in the skull, lungs, mediastinum, or lumbar region, but these are relatively rare. No matter where they grow, it is a germ cell tumor.

In addition, there is no fixed number for the size and number of teratomas. In terms of size, some teratomas may be less than 2 cm in diameter and difficult to detect, but some teratomas can grow to a diameter of more than 24 cm. In terms of quantity, although some people only have one teratoma, sometimes there are multiple teratomas on both ovaries or one side. After the patient's teratoma is removed, it is also necessary to pay attention to reexamination, as a small number of patients may have recurrence of teratomas.

Generally speaking, the incidence of teratoma has been on the rise in recent years. At present, the cause of teratoma is still unclear. It may be related to the use of hormone drugs, environmental pollution, and hormones added to foods such as meat and fish.