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Case Report
Challenges in the management of a rare congenital extragonadal teratoma in a resource constrained setting: A case report
1 Department of Surgery, Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria
2 Department of Surgery, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria
3 Department of Surgery, University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo, Nigeria
Address correspondence to:
Akputa Aja Obasi
Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Ebonyi State,
Nigeria
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Article ID: 100168Z12AO2026
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Obasi AA, Omebe WES, Akpaette IC. Challenges in the management of a rare congenital extragonadal teratoma in a resource constrained setting: A case report. J Case Rep Images Surg 2026;12(1):15–19.ABSTRACT
Introduction: Teratomas, which are the commonest germ cell tumors in children, could be gonadal or extragonadal in location. The head and neck region is a rare extragonadal site. A common site for head and neck teratomas is the cervical region. Congenital cervical teratomas can grow to huge proportions, posing significant airway and other management challenges. Although these challenges are universal, some are more pronounced in resource constrained settings.
Case Report: We present our experience with a 3-month-old infant who had a progressively increasing left anterolateral congenital neck mass which caused respiratory distress at two months of age. Intubation was achieved with the aid of a videolaryngoscope and the mass was successfully resected. The mass weighed 300 grams and measured 10 × 7.5 × 2.5 cm. Pathology showed tissue derivatives of the three germ cell layers and the histologic diagnosis was mature teratoma.
Conclusion: Lack of prenatal diagnosis, delayed postnatal diagnosis, absence of Multidisciplinary team management and non-compliance with recommended follow-up regimen are challenges of managing congenital cervical teratomas in resource constrained settings. Thorough periodic physical examinations and ultrasound scan of the neck are recommended for the follow-up of mature cervical teratoma patients in resource-constrained environments.
Keywords: Challenge, Extragonadal, Respiratory distress, Teratoma
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Author Contributions
Akputa Aja Obasi - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Wilson Egwu Sunday Omebe - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Iniofon Clement Akpaette - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Guarantor of SubmissionThe corresponding author is the guarantor of submission.
Source of SupportNone
Consent StatementWritten informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this article.
Data AvailabilityAll relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.
Conflict of InterestAuthors declare no conflict of interest.
Copyright© 2026 Akputa Aja Obasi et al. This article is distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original author(s) and original publisher are properly credited. Please see the copyright policy on the journal website for more information.
