I am a teratoma and I want to defend myself!

Author: Wang Xinyue, Huang Yiling, You Chengcheng, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Three Gorges University

Illustration: Wang Xinyue, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Three Gorges University

Reviewer: Hu Huojun, Chief Physician, First Clinical Medical College, Three Gorges University

I have a teratoma, and being misunderstood is a normal part of my life. A woman who is trying to get pregnant discovered me during a physical examination. This time, I want to defend myself!

I'm not a freak - source

"Doctor, am I pregnant?"

"Unfortunately, according to the B-ultrasound, you are not pregnant. However, there is a high possibility that you have a teratoma on your right ovary."

"Teratoma? Doctor, I'm trying to get pregnant recently. Am I pregnant with a monster?"

Listen, because of my name, I'm always misunderstood as a "freak".

To be honest, I am not a "freak" or a deformed fetus. I come from the primordial germ cells in the gonads or embryonic remnants. Primordial germ cells are a type of omnipotent cell that can differentiate in different directions. When affected by factors such as genetics and local oppression, it quietly proliferates and divides in a certain part of the body, and eventually becomes what I am now - a teratoma.

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

I'm Not a Monster - Form

"Doctor, what is this? Why does it have hair, teeth and eyes? Is this a monster?"

Listen, I'm always misunderstood as a monster because of my makeup.

If I stay in the human body for a long time, it will cause certain harm to the human body, so I will usually be surgically removed. But everyone dislikes me after seeing the gross specimens after removal, because I have a smooth capsule with messy hair, complete eyeballs, scattered teeth, piles of oil and other tissues. There is a reason why I grow like this. The cells that make up me have the ability to differentiate in multiple directions. Generally, they contain multiple components of more than two germ layers, and these germ layer structures are the basis for the formation of various organ tissues, so I can differentiate into various tissue structures. If teratomas from all over the world are collected, almost all tissues and organs of the human body can be seen.

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

I am not exclusive to women of childbearing age - Distribution

"Doctor, I see several women my age in the ward have teratomas. Is it true that this kind of tumor only grows on women of childbearing age?"

Listen, I’ve always been misunderstood as exclusive to women of childbearing age because of my common distribution.

I admit that I appear more frequently in women of childbearing age, but I am not picky about gender. I come from primordial germ cells rather than egg cells, so men can also have teratomas. I am not picky about age, but I prefer people aged 20 to 40. I am not picky about the location either. I may appear in many places in the human body. The pineal gland, skull base, mediastinum, retroperitoneum, ovaries, testicles, sacrum and coccyx are all suitable places for me to settle down. Among them, my favorite growth environment is the female ovaries or the male testicles.

Figure 3 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

I want to defend myself

I am a teratoma, one of the most common germ cell tumors. You must be curious whether I am benign or malignant. In fact, 95% of me are mature benign teratomas, and surgical resection has a good prognosis. The malignant transformation rate of benign teratomas is very low, only 2% to 4%. At present, the specific cause of teratoma is still unclear, and my existence can be discovered in time through B-ultrasound examination. I hope that one day humans can study me thoroughly and eventually reduce misunderstandings about me.

References

[1] Bu Hong, Li Yilei, Pathology[M]. 9th edition. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2018.

[2] Li Jicheng, Zeng Yuanshan. Histology and Embryology[M]. 9th edition. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2018.

[3]Li HP, Zhao T, Wei Q, et al. Laparoscopic resection of a huge mature cystic teratoma of the right adrenal gland through retroperitoneal approach: a case report and literature review[J]. World J Surg Oncol, 2015, 13:318．

[4] Xie Xing, Kong Beihua, Duan Tao. Obstetrics and Gynecology[M]. 9th edition. Beijing: People's Medical Publishing House, 2018.

[5]Terenziani M, D'Angelo P, Inserra A, et al. Mature and immature teratoma: a report from the second Italian pediatric study[J]. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 2015, 62(7):1202-1208.