Spinal teratoma
The incidence of spinal teratoma is rare; only 0.15–0.18% of spinal tumors have been classified as teratomas.
In pediatric patients, ~5–10% of spinal tumors are intraspinal teratomas, however, the incidence in adult patients is significantly lower than that observed in children and infants.
Unlike in intraspinal teratomas in infants and children, the symptoms of these tumors in adult patients typically lack specific clinical features that, upon diagnosis, may cause confusion with other spinal tumors, such as schwannomas, which are more commonly observed in adult patients.
At present, the mechanism of intraspinal teratoma formation and the prognosis of the disease following surgery have not yet been elucidated.
see Cervical teratoma.
see Thoracic teratoma.