Mature Solid Teratoma of the Retroperitoneum Presenting as Sigmoid Colon Polyp with Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Case Report

Abstract

Background: Mature colonic teratomas are rare tumors and no case, to the best of our knowledge, has been reported from the African continent. In  addition, some pedunculated teratomas in the colon have been treated by endoscopic polypectomy and classified as primary teratoma of the  colon. We report a case of a distinct intra sigmoid pedunculated teratoma originating from the retroperitoneum of a 4-year-old African girl and we  highlight the potential for misclassification of primary origin of endoscopically removed polypoid teratomas in the colon.

Case Presentation: A 4  year-old black African female child who presented with abdominal pain and hematochezia. On clinical assessment, she was found to be anaemic  and to have a sigmoid colon mass. At surgery, there was a mobile mass within the lumen of sigmoid colon and the mass was fixed to the  retroperitoneum by a stalk of tissue. Pathologist’s review of the resected sigmoid segment showed a pedunculated intra-sigmoid mass with the stalk  traversing the wall of the colon. The mass was histologically proven a mature solid teratoma.

Conclusion: This, to the best of our knowledge,  is the first report of intra sigmoid teratoma from the African continent. It highlights the potential for misclassification of endoscopically resected  colonic teratomas.