Cystic teratoma of the head: Diagnosis pitfalls

Abstract

Head and neck cystic teratomas are rare benign congenital tumors. At this location the prognosis is often favorable provided the correct diagnosis is made. Patient: We describe here the case of a male neonate with a very large extracranial mass, diagnosed antenatally as a macrocystic lymphangioma. The patient underwent early surgery with complete excision. The histological diagnosis was consistent with a mature cystic teratoma. Conclusion: The diagnosis of cystic teratoma should be suspected in case of cystic head and neck mass. Radiological images interpretation must be very rigorous to avoid management errors. Keywords: Head and neck tumors, Mature teratoma, Cystic teratoma, Lymphangioma