Adult sacrococcygeal teratoma with coccygectomy: A case report with a review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Saccrococcygeal teratomas (SCT) are derived from embryonic germ cell layers. They frequently present at the base of the coccyx within the pelvis. While these tumors are common in children, they are exceedingly rare in adults. In adults, a majority of these tumors are intrapelvic and associated with a low risk of malignant transformation. Therefore, this contributes to a good prognosis following resection of mostly benign lesions. CASE DESCRIPTION: An adult female with chronic pelvic pain presented with a sacral teratoma. She failed conservative treatment and underwent a coccygectomy with an en-bloc excision of the tumor. Microscopic histological analysis showed no evidence of immature or malignant elements, confirming the diagnosis of a mature, benign, cystic SCT. CONCLUSIONS: Mature SCTs in adults are rare malignant lesions. In this case, the patient was cured following primary surgical excision requiring en-bloc coccygectomy.