sacrococcygealteratoma

sacro coccygeal teratoma

Sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is a tumor that forms on a fetus' tailbone, also called the coccyx. The tumors are usually not cancerous (benign) but can be life-threatening if not treated.The causes of sacrococcygeal teratoma are not known. The tumor grows from germ cells.The 4 types of sacrococcygeal teratoma A : Type I : predominantly external with small internal components. B : Type II : dumbbell-shaped tumor with similar internal and external components. C : Type III : predominantly internal and smaller external components. D : Type IV : exclusively internal (intrapelvic) tumor.

Diagnosis-A sacrococcygeal tumor is usually diagnosed during pregnancy by a highly specialized prenatal ultrasound. You may be referred to a doctor who specializes in this kind of an ultrasound if the levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in your blood are high.

Sacrococcygeal teratoma treatment-All sacrococcygeal teratomas require complete surgical resection before or after birth as it is potentially malignant.some time it has a mass effect on adjacent intestinal or urological structures.