Cervical Teratoma

A fetal cervical teratoma is almost always discovered through a routine ultrasound. These masses are large, asymmetrical and have clearly demarcated lines. A diagnosis is usually obtained through additional ultrasounds or a fetal MRI. An MRI is helpful in defining the degree of airway distortion, which can help your fetal care team create a treatment plan during your pregnancy as well as immediately after birth.

How is cervical teratoma treated?

While a cervical teratoma diagnosis is certainly stressful for you and your family, several treatment options have proven successful. Our fetal and pediatric surgery team has made great strides in the advancement of care and treatment for this condition.

The Colorado Fetal Care Center is one of the leading care centers for babies diagnosed with a cervical teratoma, and we’ve treated more than 35 patients with these masses. Depending on the size and severity of the mass, our team will develop a treatment plan that may include observation, in-utero procedures, EXIT procedures and postnatal treatments.

Observation

Observation is one of the treatment options for small cervical teratomas with no risk of airway obstruction or high output cardiac failure. These cases are usually followed during pregnancy with ultrasounds. Once the baby is born, definitive anatomical detail is obtained by CT scans and consultations with our multidisciplinary team of experts.

Aspiration of dominant cysts

Aspiration of cysts, or removal of fluid using a needle, is another option available for certain cervical teratomas with a dominant large cyst at risk of obstruction or rupture. Aspiration of the cyst contents will relieve the pressure temporarily, then ultrasounds will be used until delivery to monitor the cyst.

EXIT procedure

The EXIT procedure is a special delivery technique where the head and neck of a baby are exposed through a limited incision in the uterus while maintaining pregnancy. Then, a breathing tube is placed, the cord is clamped and the baby is delivered. This technique allows the airway to be secured so the baby can transition normally from the womb, and provides an opportunity to perform resection of the mass. In some cases, a staged approach may be used to reduce the size of a mass until more imaging can be provided to plan for definitive removal.