sacrococcygeal
Pronunciation: say-kroh-kok-SIJ-ee-ul
Relating to or involving both the sacrum and the coccyx; used as a locator adjective in the most common site of pediatric teratoma.
Full Definition
The term 'sacrococcygeal' is a compound anatomical adjective combining the sacrum (the triangular bone at the base of the spine) and the coccyx (the terminal tailbone). In pediatric pathology, it appears most frequently as a site descriptor in 'sacrococcygeal teratoma', the most common solid tumour diagnosed at birth. It also appears in 'sacrococcygeal resection', the primary surgical treatment. Editors must verify the spelling carefully — the term is frequently rendered incorrectly as 'sacrocygeal', 'sacrococcigeal', or 'sacrococygeal' in manuscripts.
Usage
Usage note: A common misspelling is 'sacrocygeal' (omitting the first 'coc'). Check every instance in a manuscript pass.
In Context
- "The sacrococcygeal teratoma measured 12 cm at birth and was resected on day two of life." — Neonatal operative note
- "The copy-editor corrected 'sacrocygeal' to 'sacrococcygeal' twice in the submitted manuscript." — Editorial correction log