Familial cystic teratomas: four case reports and review of the literature

Mature cystic teratomas (MCTs) are some of the most common ovarian neoplasms in women of reproductive age. However, familial teratomas are exceedingly rare. We present 4 cases of dermoid cysts seen in a mother and her 3 daughters with left MCTs. None of the patients had symptoms at the time of diagnosis, but all of them were diagnosed in their twenties during an annual gynecologic examination. In this report, we elaborate on MCTs familial incidence, genetic linkage, theories of pathogenesis, diagnosis, complications, and surgical management. To our knowledge, after extensive review of the literature, there have been only 2 cases, in addition to the present case, of unilateral MCTs across generations reported.