Retroperitoneal teratoma is generally recognized as a disease of childhood. Review of the literature1 suggests the peak incidence is in children before they are 5 years old, with a second, smaller, peak in the third decade. To our knowledge, the oldest reported patient with retroperitoneal teratoma was 55 years old.2 This communication reports an even older patient with this lesion.
A 69-year-old man had a history of vague abdominal pain, weight loss, and early satiety. Weight loss was 9 kg (20 lb) in one month and other symptoms were of recent onset. Abnormal findings from physical examination were limited to the abdomen, where a large, hard, irregular mass was noted in the epigastrium, extending to the left upper quadrant. Hepatomegaly was moderate. Findings from barium enema examination showed stiffening and infiltration of the gastric mucosa posteriorly and overall anterior displacement. Gastric carcinoma was suspected but a tissue diagnosis