Sacrococcygeal teratoma over two decades: birth prevalence, prenatal diagnosis and clinical outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The birth prevalence and malignant tumour recurrence of sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) have not been clearly defined. We conducted this study to determine the birth prevalence, prenatal detection rate, frequency of tumour recurrence and outcome of SCT in a population-based cohort.

METHODS: Cases were identified from a population-based, regional database of congenital anomalies for the years 1985-2006. Prenatal diagnosis, management details, tumour recurrence and outcome were obtained from case records and cross linked with a regional oncology database.

RESULTS: There were 754,172 live births and 28 live born infants with SCT giving a birth prevalence of 1 per 27 000 live births. There was a prenatal diagnosis in 50% of cases. No cases presenting in the neonatal period had malignant tumour present at diagnosis or subsequent tumour recurrence. Nine (37.5%) of the survivors had chronic morbidities.

CONCLUSIONS: The birth prevalence of SCT was higher than that of previously reported. Infants who were live born and survived definitive surgical management had a good prognosis.