A single institutional series of intracranial teratomas

Background: Intracranial teratomas are uncommon, accounting for < 1% of primary intracranial neoplasms. The purpose of this study was to review the clinical, radiological, pathological and management details. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 12 consecutive intracranial teratomas treated at our institute over a 13-year period (January 2001 through March 2013) was performed. Results: Nine out of 12 patients were in the age group of 10-13 years (age range, 7-28 years, mean 15.1 years) with striking male predominance (males - 9, females - 3). The tumors were most frequent in the posterior third ventricle (n=9), with one case each in the basal ganglia, lateral ventricle and suprasellar region. All patients presented with features of raised intracranial pressure. Ten cases underwent surgery with complete excision in six and partial excision in four. Two patients underwent biopsy followed by radiotherapy. Two patients underwent radiotherapy following partial excision. On histopathological evaluation, mixed germ cell tumor (GCT) was seen in four, immature teratoma in four and mature teratoma in four patients. Follow-up was available in seven patients (range - 2 months to 2 years; mean - 6.7 months). Recurrence was noted in two patients one of whom underwent partial excision and the other underwent biopsy of the lesion followed by radiotherapy. Four of the six patients (66.7%) who had complete excision of the tumor had good long-term outcome. Conclusion: Intracranial teratomas are common in early 2 nd decade. The pineal region is the most common location and mixed GCTs are the most common histological type. Total removal is associated with better prognosis