Autoimmune hemolytic anemia and dermoid cyst of the mesentery. A case report

Abstract

An autoimmune hemolytic anemia has been detected in a patient suffering from a dermoid cyst of the mesentery. Early recognition of the teratoma is important, since only removal of the tumor is consistently curative. Investigations showing immunocompetent cells within the cyst's wall lend further support to the contention that the tumor tissue itself produces, for reasons yet unknown, antitumor autoantibodies that could cross-react with the patient's erythrocytes. The role of computerized tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of abdominal teratoma is emphasized, since CT has permitted visualization of the cystic structure of the tumor before the surgical removal of the mass.