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Standard treatment options for mature teratomas (sacrococcygeal sites)
Source: Childhood Extracranial Germ Cell Tumors Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: November 5, 2024 · Captured 2026-09-09.
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Context: Treatment of Mature and Immature Teratomas in Children / Treatment of Mature Teratomas
The sacrococcygeal region is the primary tumor site for most benign and malignant germ cell tumors (GCTs) diagnosed in neonates, infants, and children younger than 4 years. These tumors occur more often in girls than in boys; ratios of 3:1 to 4:1 have been reported.[5]
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Sacrococcygeal tumors present in the following two clinical patterns related to the child’s age, tumor location, and likelihood of tumor malignancy:[1]
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Neonates: Neonatal tumors present at birth protruding from the sacral site. However, saccrococcygeal tumors may extend into the retroperitoneal space without outward protrusion. They are usually mature or immature teratomas.
Infants and young children: In infants and young children, tumors present as a palpable mass in the sacro-pelvic region, compressing the bladder or rectum. These pelvic tumors are more likely to be malignant. The older the child at presentation, the more likely a malignant component is present in addition to the teratoma. An early survey found that the rate of tumor malignancy was 48% for girls and 67% for boys older than 2 months at the time of sacrococcygeal tumor diagnosis, compared with a malignant tumor incidence of 7% for girls and 10% for boys younger than 2 months at the time of diagnosis.[6] The pelvic primary tumor site has been reported to be an adverse prognostic factor. This could be due to a delayed diagnosis because it was overlooked at birth or incomplete resection at the time of original surgery.[6-9]
Standard treatment options for mature teratomas in a sacrococcygeal site include the following:
Surgery and observation.
Surgery is an essential component of treatment. Complete resection of the coccyx is vital to minimize the likelihood of tumor recurrence.[2]
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Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice