OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical features, diagnostic and therapeutic experiences of presacral developmental cysts.

METHODSClinical data of 22 patients with presacral developmental cysts underwent tumor excision surgery from January 1989 to December 2008 was retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSIn this group, 8 male and 14 female patients were included with a median age of 29.5 yrs (18 - 72 yrs) at diagnosis. The mean diameter of the cysts was (8.3 + or - 2.7) cm. Of the cases, 6 patients presented with epidermoid cysts, 4 cases with dermoid cysts and 12 cases with teratomas (2 with malignant change). Surgical approaches included the trans sacrococcygeal approach (18 cases), the transabdominal approach (3 cases), and the combined transabdominal-sacrococcygeal approach (1 case). The operative duration and blood loss of each operative approach was as follows: modified Kraske's procedure (142 + or - 43) min/(192 + or - 149) ml, Mason's procedure (102 + or - 27) min/(54 + or - 37) ml, transabdominal procedure (147 + or - 25) min/(117 + or - 76) ml, combined approach 360 min/1000 ml. In the trans sacrococcygeal group, 1 case (6.3%) of intra-operative presacral vein bleeding and 1 case (6.3%) of the surgical incision infection occurred. One case in the combined approach group suffered from incision infection. No significant complication was found in the transabdominal group. The patients were followed up for 9-92 months (mean, 40 months) and meanwhile the tumor relapsed in 2 cases in 20 patients with benign lesions: one patient underwent trans sacrococcygeal surgery and the other received transabdominal surgery.

CONCLUSIONSThe presacral developmental cysts develop slowly with a tendency toward malignancy. And delayed treatment brings much more difficulties to the surgical excision, so it should be radically excised once diagnosed. The trans sacrococcygeal approach is a preferable surgical procedure with direct access, minimal operative injuries and complications; and the combined transabdominal-sacrococcygeal approach could be employed when needed.