Intrapulmonary mature teratoma: case report of an exceptional entity

Teratomas are tumors consisting of tissues derived from more than one germ cell line. Criteria for pulmonary origin are exclusion of a gonadal or other extra-gonadal primary site and origin entirely within the lung. The intrapulmonary teratoma (IPT) is a rare type of teratoma extra-gonadal which often presents with nonspecific symptoms and wrongly can be diagnosed as other diseases. Here we report a patient with IPT who was initially misdiagnosed as pulmonary aspergilloma. We report a case of mature pulmonary teratoma in a 22-year-old male with no toxic habits, treated in 2007 for smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis, presenting progressively for 1 year, with a left chest pain, intermittent episodes of cough and hemoptysis, and dyspnea. A computed tomography (CT) chest scan showed a heterogeneous tumor with cavitary lesion in the left upper lobe. The patient had a left upper lobectomy with complete resection of the mediastinal mass. The patient is currently in good general condition, and does not present any complications or recurrence and thyroid function was normal during the long term follow up. Preoperative diagnosis of IPT is not always possible and is usually misdiagnosed early on due to its rarity, nonspecific and vague symptoms, normal lab results, and indistinguishable chest x-ray results. We report a case of intrapulmonary teratoma in a 22-year-old man and review the relevant literature.

Aspergilloma or intrapulmonary teratoma - time to rethink

Intrapulmonary teratoma (IPT) is a rare type of extra gonadal germ cell tumor which can often be misdiagnosed due to its non-specific presentation. Complete surgical resection should be done because of its malignant potential. We report a case of 33 years old female previously treated as tuberculous osteomyelitis of sternum. She presented with chest pain and sudden hemoptysis. Based on the radiological picture she was diagnosed as complex aspergilloma of lung with a thick walled cavity. Hemoptysis was controlled with supportive management. On surgery right upper lobe was densely adherent to the anterior chest wall. Exploration of the cavity revealed a 6×4 cm whitish mass with non-pigmented hair. Right upper lobectomy and wide excision of the mass was performed. Histopathology was consistent with the diagnosis of IPT with no malignant cells.

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.