Soft palatine mass with diagnosis of mature teratoma

Congenital Giant Teratoma Arising from the Hard Palate: A Rare Clinical Presentation

Teratomas are rare tumours which originate from all 3 germs cell layers namely endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm, with varying proportions of each component. The most common site of teratoma is in the sacro-coccygeal region. Teratomas are generally benign and have well appreciable clinical and histopathological features. Incidence of congenital teratoma is 1 in 4000. In head and neck region congenital teratomas usually associated with other anomalies like cystic hygroma and cleft palate with an incidence of 1 in 400. The approximately reported incidence of palatal teratoma is 1 in 35000 to 40000 live-births. Upper airway difficulty causes anticipated functional problems at hypopharynx. The prognosis of palatal teratoma mostly depends on the risk and extent of neonatal respiratory distress. We present a rare case of congenital teratoma arising from the hard palate in a new born girl. The outcome in this case was bad due to the large mass causing respiratory difficulty and bleeding from the ruptured cystic areas leading to hypovolemic shock. After two hours of delivery, baby expired.