What is uterine teratoma?

Many people may have heard of the disease called uterine teratoma, but they do not understand specifically what kind of disease it is. I personally think that we need to have a clearer understanding of this type of disease that poses a greater threat to human health. Therefore, in the following article, I will systematically explain to you what uterine teratoma is? Friends who are interested can take a look.

Teratomas originate from potentially multifunctional primitive germ cells and are mostly benign, but their malignant tendency increases with age. The site of occurrence is related to the anterior midline axis or para-midline area of ​​the embryonic body cavity, and is often seen in the sacral and coccygeal regions, mediastinum, retroperitoneum, and gonadal regions. It is more common in newborns and infants, and more common in women.

Cause and pathology: During the human embryonic development, there is a pluripotent cell with pluripotent development potential. Under normal embryonic development, it develops and differentiates into mature cells of each germ layer. If certain pluripotent cells separate or fall off from the whole at different stages of the embryo, causing cell genes to mutate and differentiation to become abnormal, embryonic abnormalities may occur. It is generally believed that if this separation or shedding occurs in the early embryonic stage, a teratoma will be formed; if it occurs in the late embryonic stage, an abnormally differentiated tissue with three germ layers, endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm, will be formed, that is, a teratoma will be formed.

The pathological characteristics of teratoma are that the tumor tissue is composed of three germ layer tissues: the outer, middle and inner germ layers, and often contains mature or immature skin, teeth, bones, cartilage, nerves, muscles, fat, epithelium and other tissues. A few may also contain gastric mucosa, pancreas, liver, kidney, lung, thyroid and thymus and other tissue components. Malignant teratomas often appear as immature tissues that are difficult to define and distinguish. The malignant transformation of teratomas often manifests as abnormal proliferation of neural tissue or epithelial tissue, forming malignant teratomas.

The pathological classification of teratoma is as follows: ① Mature teratoma: that is, benign teratoma, composed of differentiated and mature tissues; ② Immature teratoma: that is, malignant teratoma, composed of immature tissue structures during the embryonic period, mostly glial or neural tube-like structures, often with malignant pathological manifestations of undifferentiated and increased mitosis. In the past, germ cell malignant tumors such as seminoma, dysgerminoma, embryonal carcinoma, and endodermal sinus tumor were collectively referred to as malignant teratomas. In fact, they are embryological germ cell tumors and the result of abnormal differentiation in various areas of migration from the yolk sac to the gonads. Pathologically, they often do not have the three germ layer structure and should not be classified as teratomas.

What is uterine teratoma? I have also told you the detailed knowledge about the causes and pathology of uterine teratoma. I hope that after reading it, you will not just forget it, but also share this knowledge with your female friends so that they can take precautions in advance, stay away from the troubles of uterine teratoma, and embrace a better life.