A Case of a Human Tail Without Associated Anomalies / 대한소아신경학회지

Human tails or caudal cutaneous appendages are rare congenital anomalies with lesions usually arising from the midline of the lumbosacrococcygeal area. There have been only around 70 cases reported in literature. A 4-month-old male infant born as the 1st child of a dizygotic twin was presented with a penis-shaped mass of 4-cm in the coccygeal area. The mass was entirely covered by skin without any skin defect and was connected to the midline skin of the posterior coccygeal area by a stalk. Magnetic resonance images showed fat density of the mass without any demonstrable communication with the spinal canal nor any underlying central nervous system anomalies. The patient underwent a simple surgical excision of the mass without residual effects and complications. Histopathologic examination of the mass revealed lobules of mature adipose tissue, fibromuscular soft tissue, small vessels and nerves with normal hair follicles on the skin.

Newborn with tail - a genetic throwback.

The birth of a child with a caudal appendage resembling a tail generates an unusual interest and anxiety. True human tail is a rare event; less than 40 cases have been reported in the literature so far. It is defined as a caudal, vestigial, midline protrusion of muscle and adipose tissue with skin covering. We are reporting a case of true tail in a baby, a rare event in human.

A Case of Congenital Smooth Muscle Hamartoma Presenting as a Human Tail / 대한피부과학회지

A human tail is a rare congenital anomaly, and is characterised by a prominent lesion from the lumbosacrococcygeal region. Human tails are classified into 'true tails' and 'pseudotails'. True tails are comprised of only mesenchymal tissue. They are presumed to be remnants of the embryologic tail. All other lumbosacrococcygeal protrusions are summarized as pseudotails. Congenital smooth muscle hamartoma usually presents as a well-circumscribed, hypertrichotic, hyperpigmented or skin-colored patch or plaque on the trunk or an extremity at birth. Histologically, numerous thick, long, well-defined bundles of smooth muscle fibers are scattered throughout the dermis in various directions. We report a case of congenital smooth muscle hamartoma in a 15-year-old male patient who presented with a tail-like protruding mass accompanied by hypertrichosis and underlying soft tissue deviation.