In the human body, under the influence of a number of specific factors, various tumor processes can arise.
Some tumors appear in adulthood, others are found predominantly in children, and still others begin to develop long before birth. The last group of tumors includes teratoma, which is benign or malignant.
What is teratoma?
Teratoma is the formation that is formed from embryonic cells even during the utero period. Usually such formations are of a benign nature, but under the influence of certain factors it can be malignant and grow into neighboring structures.
According to statistics, malignancy of the teratoma occurs in approximately 1% of patients.
The photo shows of the ovarian teratoma
- Adult patients usually have testicular or ovarian teratomas, they can grow up to 10-15-cm diameter. Reproductive women are more often ill.
- If a teratoma tumor affects a male testicle, then it is treated as an education with a high likelihood of malignancy.
- In children, similar formations have predominantly lumbosacral localization and are detected immediately after birth. A tumor can complicate childbirth, interfering with the passage of the fetus along the ways, or squeezing and deforming the intraorganic structures, provoking myocardial insufficiency and death.
Teratomic formations can also be localized in other parts of the body, such as the retroperitoneal and presacral zone, of the mediastinum or neck. But nevertheless, most often there are ovarian, ovarian and sacrococcygeal localizations.
According to statistics, the proportion of teratomas in adults is about 2.8-7% of the total number of tumors. In children, these formations are found much more often - in 24-36% of tumor pathologies.
Reasons for
The main etiologic factor in the laying of a teratom tumor is a disruption in the development of embryonic tissues.
This is why, unexpected findings are found inside the formation, such as the rudiments of internal organs, teeth, hair follicles, etc. The formation of a teratoma is derived from gonocyte cells.
The exact causes of tumor formation have not yet been revealed, however, scientists have put forward several theories that are confirmed in practice:
- The germogenic nature of teratom formation , ie, the tumor is formed from the primary half-cell structures of embryonic gonads under the action of various provoking factors. As evidence of this theory is the fact that teratomas are most often formed in the structures of the genital organs;
- Embryo in embryo. The contents of the tumor are treated as parts of the embryo. Usually similar is found in cases with multiple pregnancies, when there is an absorption by a strong fetus of a genetically weak brother.
In the future, the neoplasm grows and develops due to chromosomal cell anomalies.
Types of therheal tumors
Teratomas are divided into immature and mature formations, and they differ in the character of the inner contents.
- Immature teratoma or teratoblastoma is a tumor that contains tissues that can not be differentiated;
- Mature or dermoid tumor is a teratoma, the inner contents of which are normal tissues specific to an adult patient.
Also similar formations are ectodermal, endodermal or mesodermal.
Endodermal character of the contents inside the tumor reveals bronchial epithelium, ectodermal tumors contain ganglia, nerve tissue and skin, and mesodermal ones contain fatty, fibrous, cartilaginous and bone elements.
In most cases, teratom tumors are of a benign nature, but there are exceptions when the tumor degenerates into a cancerous process.
Symptoms of teratomas of different localizations
The clinical picture of teratom formations in each clinical case is due to their localization.
Most often, the tumor is in a state of sleep and does not manifest itself for long enough until the patient begins an adolescent period when active hormonal changes are observed.
Usually, characteristic clinical signs arise in malignant tumor nature. Then, patients may have heart rhythm disturbances, chest pain, hyperthermia symptoms, discomfort and heaviness in the lower abdomen. Some types of teratom formations behave differently.
Ovary
Teratoma of ovarian localization occupies one fifth of all ovarian tumors in women. Usually, such formations are mature and have a cystic structure, although immature forms also occur.
Usually, these kinds of tumors behave asymptomatically. On the development of the tumor process may indicate pulling tenderness in the lower abdomen.
Because of the latent development of such tumors often become a find for women and are found out at casual inspections because of absolutely other diseases.
Eggs
Almost half of germogenic tumors in men are testicular teratomas. If the tumor is small, it is invisible to the patient.
At large sizes, formation is easily seen, because they cause deformational changes in the structure of the testicle. Similar tumors practically do not occur in adult patients, but are more often found in young men who have reached sexual maturity( 16-20 years).
Due to this localization, when the growth is activated, the tumor is quickly detected, thus avoiding its malignancy. Latent flow and the absence of signs are considered typical for such tumors.
If the testicles began to be disturbed by pronounced pain, then this may indicate malignancy of the tumor process.
Immature malignant lesions that are localized in an undescended testicle are considered especially dangerous, as they are usually found too late when surgical treatment is not effective enough.
Sacrificial-coccygeal region
Teratomas of similar localization are considered the most common congenital formations and are found in newborns immediately after birth.
They are more common in female children and can grow up to a 30-centimeter size.
With a large character of the tumor, a shift in the internal structures can occur, which will disrupt intrauterine fetal development.
The most common sacrococcygeal teratoma tumor causes:
- Anomalies of pelvic structures;
- Hydronephrosis pathologies;
- Urethral atresia;
- Abnormal displacement of rectal tissues;
- Myocardial insufficiency;
- Complication of the generic process.
Typically, such formations are surgically removed during the first 6 months of the patient's life.
Neck
Teratomic formations of cervical localization are quite rare and are identified after the birth of the fetus. If the tumor is small, it can remain undetected and manifest only after activation of growth. Parameters of such a terat are 3-15 cm.
Large formations compress the respiratory tract, which manifests itself:
- Asphyxiation;
- Cyanotic skin tone;
- Difficulty in swallowing food;
- Difficult breathing process.
Cervical small tumors do not cause constriction, so they are asymptomatic.
Mediastinal
Similar teratom formations are localized in the anterior mediastinum, near the pericardium and large-vessel structures. Like other teratomas, they do not appear for a long period of time.
A typical clinic is shown during puberty or pregnancy. Grow up to 25 cm, which leads to compression of the inorganic systems.
As a result, there are symptoms like:
- Cough;
- Shortness of breath;
- Heart pain;
- Frequent palpitations.
If the tumor sprouts into the pleura or bronchus, then suffocation and blueing of the skin, hyperthermia, hiccough, pain in the shoulder region, asymmetric changes in the chest are observed.
The retroperitoneal space of
The formation of such localization and character in frequency takes the third place. Such formations are found mainly in children.
They lead to compression of nearby organs and tissues, so the first sign of a tumor is usually a sharp and intense increase in a certain area of the abdomen.
In addition, the patient has symptoms:
- Pain in the abdomen;
- Signs of acute intestinal obstruction;
- Hyperthermia;
- Sharp weight loss;
- Anorexic signs.
When probed, the tumor behaves motionless, has clear facets and irregular shape, a dense structure and a tuberous or smooth surface.
Diagnosis and treatment of
Diagnosis is performed on the basis of clinical manifestations with the use of ultrasound, angiographic or radiographic diagnosis, MRI or CT, scintigraphic examination, etc.
Treatment of teratoma is always operational, otherwise the probability of active growth and spread of the tumor process increases, as well asHis malignancy with all the consequences inherent in such complications.
- Benign teratomas remove , excising the tumor along the boundaries of healthy tissues.
- Ovarian teratoma is treated by partial ovarian resection. If the patient is in premenopausal or menopausal age, the removal is performed through an adnexectomy or supravaginal removal of the uterus along with the accessory tissues.
If the teratoma tumor is of a malignant nature, then after the removal, additional chemotherapy or radiotherapy is prescribed to the patients. The final predictions are due to the histological features and localization of the tumor.
Features of teratoma of the ovaries, which is what the following video will tell: