Teratoma within an encephalocele: common etiology or coincidence. Case report.

Encephalocele is a cystic congenital malformation in which central nervous system structures herniate through a defect in the cranium. The coincidence of encephalocele and neoplasm is a very rare condition. The authors present the case of a 5-month-old girl who underwent surgery for encephalocele and whose postoperative histopathological assessment revealed evidence of a mature teratoma inside the lesion. The embryogenesis of such a lesion is discussed.