Growing teratoma syndrome
Growing teratoma syndrome (pronunciation: grow-ing ter-a-to-ma sin-drome) is a rare condition that occurs in patients who have been treated for germ cell tumors. Despite successful treatment and normalization of tumor markers, the size of the tumor increases. This phenomenon is due to the growth of mature teratoma elements within the tumor.
Etymology
The term "teratoma" is derived from the Greek words "teras" and "onkoma", which mean "monster" and "swelling" respectively. The syndrome was first described in 1982 by Logothetis et al.
Clinical Presentation
Patients with growing teratoma syndrome typically present with an enlarging mass following chemotherapy for a germ cell tumor. Symptoms depend on the location and size of the mass. Despite the increase in size, tumor markers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) remain normal.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of growing teratoma syndrome is based on three criteria:
- Normalization of tumor markers following chemotherapy for a germ cell tumor
- Increase in the size of the mass or appearance of new masses
- Histological confirmation of mature teratoma
Treatment
The primary treatment for growing teratoma syndrome is surgical resection of the growing mass. In some cases, additional chemotherapy may be required.
Prognosis
The prognosis for patients with growing teratoma syndrome is generally good, provided the entire tumor can be surgically removed. However, the condition can be life-threatening if the tumor compresses vital organs or if complete resection is not possible.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Growing teratoma syndrome
- Wikipedia's article - Growing teratoma syndrome
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