Intrapulmonary mature cystic teratoma of the lung: case report of a rare entity

BACKGROUND: Intrapulmonary teratoma (IPT) is a rare type of extra gonadal teratoma which often presents with non-specific symptoms and can be misdiagnosed as other diseases. Here we report a patient with IPT which was initially misdiagnosed as lung hydatid cyst versus abscess. CASE PRESENTATION: We report an intrapulmonary teratoma in a 27-year-old female presenting with persistent chest pain and dyspnea since a few years prior to her admission with associated symptoms of cough and fever. Chest x-ray only showed left side massive pleural effusion and computed tomography scan of the lungs was suggestive of hydatid cyst or a lung abscess. She underwent lobectomy and postoperative histopathological study revealed IPT as the final diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Due to the non-specific symptoms and rarity, IPT can be easily misdiagnosed at first. It is essential that physicians take into account the possibility of IPT when approaching a new case of lung mass.