Excision of intra-abdominal mesenteric immature teratoma during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The world is suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature has thrown a new challenge towards the healthcare professionals in the form of this new virus. As if that was not enough, we found an extremely rare, interesting and challenging case of mesenteric immature teratoma in this pandemic. Teratomas take origin from totipotent cells and may give rise to neoplasms that contain, in a helter-skelter fashion, bits of bone, epithelium, muscles, fat, nerves and other tissues. They are usually smaller than 10 cm, with cystic space, which is filled with a thick sebaceous secretion containing matted hair and sometimes teeth protruding from a nodular projection, which are unbrushed and may be carious. Though the usual sites are ovaries, occasionally testes, extragonadal sites may be affected. Classically the teratoma originates in the midline position. But in the abdomen, it usually takes the position of one of the paravertebral gutters, as in the present case, perhaps due to its size and weight of the solid part of the constituent elements. Due to its rarity it deserves the attention of the world and therefore we present to u this interesting case.