Paediatric gastric teratoma

Aim: This paper reviews our experience with patients presenting with gastric teratoma treated over an eighteen-year period. This rare paediatric tumour has an excellent prognosis after curative resection. Methods: There were seven patients, all males. Investigations included a haematological profile, plain radiography and ultrasound of the abdomen. All patients were operated and the specimens subjected to histopathological examination. Results: The age at presentation ranged from 1 month to 7 years. Two patients presented with melaena and the rest with progressively increasing abdominal mass. Our oldest patient had a massive tumour occupying nearly the whole abdomen. None of the children had metastases and none of the lesions had invaded adjacent structures. The tumours could be completely resected and all patients had an uneventful recovery. Histology of the tumours showed mature elements arising from the three germ layers in 6 children, one child had an immature teratoma. The average follow-up was 3 years (range 2 - 6 years). None of the patients has had a recurrence or any other problem. Conclusions: Gastric teratoma is a rare tumour but amenable to curative resection with an excellent prognosis.