Year: 2026 | Month: August | Volume: 13 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 264-271
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20260826
Mature Cystic Teratoma Presenting as a Giant Retrorectal Mass in an Adult Female: A Rare Case with Histopathological Confirmation
Charla Harish1, Harindranath H R2, Gulamnabi3, Rajeev Nag4, Srinivas Yadav5
Department of General Surgery, Sapthagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (SIMSRC)
No. 15, Chikkasandra, Hesaraghatta Main Road, Bengaluru – 560 090, Karnataka, India
Corresponding Author: Charla Harish
ABSTRACT
Background: Retrorectal tumors are uncommon lesions of the presacral space, and mature cystic teratomas constituting a subset of this group are exceptionally rare in adults. Their non-specific clinical presentation frequently leads to diagnostic delays and misclassification.
Case Presentation: We report a 51-year-old female who presented with a one-year history of progressively enlarging swelling in the gluteal cleft, accompanied by pain and difficulty walking. Imaging demonstrated a large (9.0 × 8.0 × 3.5 cm), multiloculated, solid-cystic retrorectal mass displacing the rectum anteriorly. Initial pre-operative assessment favoured a tail gut cyst, but histopathological examination following complete surgical excision confirmed a mature cystic teratoma containing derivatives of all three germ cell layers — ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm — without evidence of malignancy.
Conclusion: This case highlights the diagnostic challenges of retrorectal masses and underscores the indispensable role of histopathological analysis in achieving accurate diagnosis. Complete surgical excision remains the definitive treatment. Multidisciplinary collaboration — involving general surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, and surgical oncology — is essential for optimal patient outcomes.
Keywords: Mature cystic teratoma; Retrorectal tumor; Presacral mass; Tail gut cyst; Germ cell tumor; Surgical excision; Histopathology; Multiloculated cyst
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