Vertical wound closure following sacrococcygeal teratoma excision: an approachable aesthetic solution

Abstract

BackgroundSacrococcygeal teratoma is a rare tumour, usually presenting in the neonatal period. The benign nature of most tumours and the high survival rates would emphasise on the importance of both cosmetic and functional outcomes.We report on our extended experience with more cases concentrating on the aesthetic outcome of vertical wound closure following excision of large irregular sacrococcygeal tumours.The study included primary cases of sacrococcygeal teratoma who were referred to our surgical team for excision. Cases of presacral tumours associated with anorectal anomalies and sacral bony defects (Currarino triad) were excluded. In all cases, we planned for a vertical midline wound closure after tumour excision. The aesthetic outcomes are evaluated concerning the vertical midline scar, buttock’s contour, and position of the anus.ResultsIn addition to twelve previously reported cases (during the period 2011 through 2016), we included another ten new consecutive cases operated during the period 2017 through 2021. Collectively, the study included 22 cases of sacrococcygeal teratoma that underwent vertical perineal wound closure after excision of the tumour. In 13 cases (those with relatively small or medium-sized tumours), the perineal wound was perfectly closed in the midline (well-hidden vertical scar in the natal cleft). For the rest of the cases (9 cases with large and/or irregular sacrococcygeal tumours), some modification was applied on the vertical linear mid-line skin closure to accommodate for skin redundancy and irregularity at the lower end of the wound, usually ending with an ‘inverted-Y’ skin closureConclusionVertical wound closure was always feasible after excision of sacrococcygeal teratomas. Even with large and irregular tumours, the vertical scar was perfectly or partially hidden within the natal cleft. Usually, there was adequate buttock development with minimal disturbance to the normal anal location within the perineum.