Journal of the Korean Society of Coloproctology  2005;21(2):105-108

A Case of a Tailgut Cyst.

Sin Sun KIM 1 ; Ji Yeon KIM ; Hye Kyung LEE ; Seal HWANGBO ; Jeong Gu KIM ; Dong Ho LEE ; Young Kyoung YOU ; Chang Joon AHN

Affiliations

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Keywords

Tailgut cyst

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

The tailgut is a blind extension of the hindgut into the tail fold just distal to the cloacal membrane. Remnants of this structure may form a tailgut cyst. This is prone to infection and chronic fistula formation and has a long-term risk of malignancy. Non-recognition and incomplete treatment leads to morbidity. A twenty one year-old female patient visited our hospital with repeated perianal pain and discharge. Preoperative abdominopelvic MRI and endorectal ultrasonography revealed a retrorectal cyst suggestive of a tailgut cyst. She underwent a complete excision of the retrorectal mass through a presacral approach. She recovered uneventfully. This report includes the case and a brief review of tailgut cysts.