Pericardial cyst or teratoma? Change of strategy during mediastinal tumor surgery

Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2012 Oct;60(7):488-90. doi: 10.1055/s-0031-1280065. Epub 2011 Jul 15.

Abstract

This report describes the management of an 8 × 8-cm cystic mass that arose from the anterior mediastinum and prolapsed into the right pleural cavity adherent to the pericardium in an asymptomatic 16-year-old girl. The patient was scheduled for a video-assisted thoracoscopic operation with exposure, puncture and suction of a suspected pericardial cyst. However, during the procedure the strategy was changed due to the solid consistency of the mass, and the lesion was extirpated in toto by a short anterolateral thoracotomy. The complete histopathological investigation showed a highly fibrous, cystic, mature teratoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Diagnostic Errors
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Mediastinal Cyst / diagnosis
  • Mediastinal Cyst / surgery*
  • Mediastinal Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Mediastinal Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Punctures
  • Suction
  • Teratoma / diagnosis
  • Teratoma / surgery*
  • Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted
  • Thoracotomy*
  • Treatment Outcome