[Caudal regression syndrome: about a case]. / Syndrome de régression caudale: à propos d'un cas.

Caudal regression syndrome is a rare malformative syndrome associated, to varying degrees, with agenesis of sacral and coccygeal vertebrae, lower limb shortening and gastrointestinal, genitourinary and cardiovascular abnormalities. Its relationship with gestational diabetes is well established, but its exact cause is poorly established. We here report a rare case of caudal regression syndrome in a 8-month old infant of diabetic mother with polymalformative syndrome and chronic constipation.

Mediastinal Mature Teratoma Revealed by Empyema.

Teratomas are germ cell tumors, manifested with a great variety of clinical features; the most common extragonadal site is the anterior mediastinum. In this case, we report the patient with a large mature mediastinal teratoma with several components of ectodermal and endothermal epithelium. A 24-year-old female patient presented with history of persistent chest pain and progressively aggravating dyspnea for the previous 3 months. A chest X-ray showed a large opacity of the entire left hemithorax. Transcutaneous needle aspiration revealed a purulent fluid. The tube thoracostomy was introduced and the effusion was evacuated. Some weeks later, patient was seen in emergency for persistent cough and lateral chest pain. CT scan revealed a mass of the left hemithorax. The mass showed heterogeneous density, without compressing mediastinum great vessels and left hilar structures. Lipase value was elevated in needle aspiration. The patient underwent a total resection of the mediastinum mass via a left posterolateral thoracotomy. Microscopy revealed a mature teratoma with cystic structures. The patient subsequently made a full recovery. This case provide benign mediastinal teratoma with total atelectasis of left lung and elevated lipase value in needle transcutaneous aspiration; this event is explained by pancreatic component in the cystic tumor. Total removal of the tumor is adequate treatment for this type of teratoma and the prognosis is excellent.