Mediastinal tumors in young children are not common, and solid teratomas in the thoracic cavity are especially rare. The following case is reported because of its clinical and pathologic interest.
REPORT OF CASE
History.—The patient was first seen at the age of 6 months, at which time there was no suspicion on the part of the parents of any serious disease. He was an only child, of normal birth. The family history was negative as to any constitutional disease. He had not been seen by a physician since his mother was dismissed by her obstetrician. The weight was 18½ pounds (8,391 Gm.).Although the parents said that the patient had always been free from symptoms of any sort, on closer examination it developed that for the past three months, since the age of 3 months, there had been periods in which the respiration seemed hurried and the child slightly