Primary retroperitoneal tumours a 25 year study.

Primary retroperitoneal neoplasia is not a common condition. Out of the 34 tumours analysed in the present study 15 were germ cell tumours, 10 were soft tissue tumours and 9 were tumours of the sympathetic nervous system. Among the 15 germ cell tumours, 9 were mature teratomas while there were 2 each of immature teratoma, embrayonal carcinoma and dysgerminoma. Out of the 10 soft tissue tumours 9 were sarcomas with 5 liposarcomas, 3 leiomyosarcomas and 1 neurogenic sarcoma. The only benign soft tissue tumour was a lipoma. The 9 tumours of the sympathetic nervous system included 7 neuroblastomas and 2 ganglioneuroblastomas. Overall, in the present series majority of the primary retroperitoneal tumours (22 out of 34 i.e. 70.6%) were malignant tumours.