Retrospective Analysis of a Mature Cystic Teratoma Discovered in the Anatomy Laboratory: Cross-Curricular Integration of Gross Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology.

An ovarian mass was discovered in a 90-year-old female donor during routine gross anatomy dissection. Incision of the mass was captured on video, which revealed sebaceous contents with apparent hairs and localized calcifications. Sections of the capsule were sent for histopathology, which demonstrated cells derived from the three embryonic germ cell layers, confirming the diagnosis of a mature cystic teratoma. Abdominopelvic computed tomography scans from the donor's medical records showed a characteristic Rokitansky nodule (or dermoid plug). Educational illustrations were created to better visualize mature cystic teratoma embryology and to differentiate between other ovarian masses. Mature cystic teratoma pathology was effectively utilized to integrate the basic science disciplines of gross anatomy, histology, and embryology into a health science case study for medical education. Accordingly, the resources from this case study have been compiled for potential use by other medical educators, including implementation of problem-based or team-based learning.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-025-02308-9.