Epignathus

case report

Abstract

Epignathus is an extremely rare oropharyngeal teratoma that commonly originates from the Rathke’s pouch (pharynx and or bones of the base of the skull) and hard palate. It can occupy the entire oropharyngeal cavity and externalize through the mouth. Depending on the size, epignathus can cause asphyxia and severe obstructive respiratory insufficiency in the neonate, usually fatal. Prenatal diagnosis can be performed by prenatal ultrasonography and imaging. With this, it is possible to plan the delivery in the best possible way, with a multidisciplinary team to provide specialized care and allow the beginning of the treatment of the neonate still in the delivery room with a view to the survival of the newborn. Survival, however, is not always possible, especially in cases of giant tumors, and sometimes, intrauterine death occurs before cesarean section is performed. The present study, therefore, aimed to report a case of epignathus diagnosed at the 2nd trimester prenatal ultrasound of a male fetus and the fatal outcome.