Carcinoid Tumor Arising in Mature Teratoma of the Anterior Mediastinum-A Case Report

Apart from the gonads, the mediastinum is the most frequently involved site of germ cell tumors, accounting for about 2-6% of these neoplasms. Mature teratomas of the mediastinum are benign lesions. They do not have the metastatic potential observed in testicular teratoma, and are cured by surgical resection alone. Most teratomas of the mediastinum are benign and only 15-20% account for malignant neoplasms, such as immature teratomas, mature teratomas with malignant transformation, or teratomas concomitant to mixed germ cell tumors. Many lesions are found on routine chest X-rays, and nearly two-thirds of patients have specific symptoms. The most common symptoms are chest pain, cough, and dyspnea caused by compression or invasion of contiguous structures. Only 2 cases have been published in the past decades. We present a case of mature teratoma of the anterior mediastinum with carcinoid tumor arising in association with gastrointestinal epithelium, confined to the mass, and review the associated literature.