Growing teratoma syndrome: a surgical conundrum

Abstract

Growing teratoma syndrome (GTS) is a tumour growth, which contains mature teratomatous elements during or after chemotherapy for malignant germ cell tumours. Surgery is the only potential treatment option for GTS because these growing teratomas are resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Extensive surgeries may be needed in GTS with multivisceral resections to achieve no residual disease status. This report presents a case of GTS treated with multiple surgical resections in a woman with malignant immature teratoma ovary in her early thirties; she is disease free after 1 year of treatment.

Keywords: Gynecological cancer; Obstetrics, gynaecology and fertility.