• Brain Tumor Research and Treatment
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.73-77
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• 2018

Germinoma is the most common type of intracranial germ cell tumors (GCTs). Pineal gland and suprasellar region are the most frequent sites of central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Intracranial masses caused by Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) mimics features of CNS GCTs. LCH frequently involve spine and is the most common cause of vertebra plana in children. A 15-year-old boy presented with progressing symptoms of polydipsia, polyuria, general headache, nausea and severe back pain. Brain MRI showed brain tumor with simultaneous involvement of suprasellar region and pineal gland. An excisional biopsy of suprasellar mass was done. The pathologic assessment confirmed the diagnosis of germinoma. Patient's treatment continued accordingly. A spine MRI, done due to persistent backache, showed a vertebra plana. We reevaluated the primary diagnosis suspecting LCH. Germinoma of CNS was confirmed and a biopsy of vertebral lesion resulted in hemangioma. Thus we report a case of CNS germinoma with co-occurrence of vertebra plana. We emphasized the importance of histopathologic diagnosis of pineal/suprasellar masses and primary investigation of other CNS regions including spine for possible metastasis or comorbidities.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권10호
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• pp.1245-1249
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• 2001

Germinomas of the central nervous system are rare embryonal tumors(accounting for less than 1% of intracranial neoplasms) that may be located in the pineal region, in the floor of the third ventricle, or in the suprasellar area. We report a case of germinoma developed in periventricular deep white matter without pineal region tumors or suprasellar masses. The 19-year-old male patient presented with slowly progressing headache, dizziness, photophobia, and dysarthria. Initial brain MRI revealed a irregular and dense enhancement from lateral ventricles to 4th ventricle. The stereotactic biopsy of tumor and histologic examination revealed the germinoma. Craniospinal axis radiation therapy was performed. After radiation therapy patient was improved and no neurologic sequelae was seen at discharge. Periventricular germinomas without pineal or suprasellar lesion are very rare. The radiation therapy, as in our case, is beneficial as with other intracranial germinomas. Stereotactic biopsy of periventricular germinoma provides precise pathologic diagnosis and thus allows more specific management.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.109-111
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• 2020

Germ-cell tumors (GCTs) are common in the central nervous system. GCTs are highly sensitive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy and can be cured without radical surgery. However, this tumor produces nonspecific imaging findings, and its rarity can make diagnosis challenging. Here we report a case in which the first diagnosis was uncertain and follow-up imaging revealed intramedullary germinoma. The patient underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy after the diagnosis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권10호
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• pp.1224-1228
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• 2001

Germinoma is a rare central nervous system neoplasm in children and young adults. It is well known that a malignant primary neoplasm can be cured by conventional radiation therapy alone or reduced-volume and field irradiation in combination with chemotherapy. The authors report a very rare case of a pineal germinoma, which was completely disappeared after repeated diagnostic brain computed tomography(CT) with review of pertinent literature. There has been neither tumor recurrence nor metastasis during follow-up period.

• 대한세포병리학회지
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.61-65
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• 2001

A 20-year-old young man who had undergone treatment for a suprasellar/perichiasmal tumor 2 years before, was presented with a huge palpable splenic mass. A fine needle aspiration cytology from the splenic mass showed dissociated large pleomorphic tumor cells having irregular nuclear outline, coarse chromatin, and one or two macronucleoli, and scattered small lymphocytes in fine granular background. Above cytologic findings were regarded as the characteristics of germinoma. Differential diagnosis from the large cell lymphoma of spleen was emphasized.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권sup1호
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• pp.170-173
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• 2001

Germinoma associated with chronic granulomatous inflammation of pineal gland has been rarely reported in the literature. The mechanism of chronic granulomatous inflammation is not understood well. We report a case of chronic granulomatous inflammation in pineal germinoma. In a 17 year-old male who suffered from headache and diplopia for six months, the mass of pineal gland was detected by brain MRI and removed through occipital transtentorial approach. The pathological specimen revealed the mass was predominantly composed of chronic granulomatous inflammation associated with small portion of germ cell tumor nests In the pathological interpretation of chronic granulomatous inflammation of pineal mass, it would be obliged to search for the presence of germ cell component.

• 대한방사선방어학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한방사선방어학회 2009년도 추계 학술발표
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• pp.128-129
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• 2009

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제57권5호
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• pp.315-322
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• 2015

Intracranial germ cell tumors (ICGCT) occur in 2-11% of children with brain tumors between 0-19 years of age. For treatment of germinoma, relatively low radiation doses with or without chemotherapy show excellent 10 year survival rate of 80-100%. Past studies showed that neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with focal radiotherapy resulted in unacceptably high rates of periventricular tumor recurrence. The use of generous radiation volume which covers the whole ventricular space with later boost treatment to primary site is considered as standard treatment of intracranial germinomas. For non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCT), 10-year overall survival rate is still much inferior than that of intracranial germinoma despite intensive chemotherapy and high-dose radiotherapy. Craniospinal radiotherapy combined with cisplatin-based chemotherapy provides the best treatment outcome for NGGCT; 60-70% of overall survival rate. There is a debate on the surgical role whether surgery can contribute to improved treatment outcome of NGGCT when added to combined chemoradiotherapy. Because higher dose of radiotherapy is required for treatment of NGGCT than for germinoma, it is tested whether whole ventricular irradiation can replace craniospinal irradiation in intermediate risk group of NGGCT to minimize radiation-related late toxicity in the recent studies. To minimize the treatment-related neural deficit and late sequelae while maintaining long-term survival rate of ICGCT patients, optimized administration of chemotherapy and radiotherapy should be selected. Use of technically upgraded radiotherapy modalities such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy or proton beam therapy is expected to bring an improved neurocognitive outcome with longitudinal assessment of the patients.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제15권3호
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• pp.207-213
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• 1997

목적 : 두개내 배아종은 방사선 치료로 완치율이 높은 종양이나 현재까지 적절한 방사선 조사량이나 조사 범위에 대한 원칙은 확립되지 알은 상태이다. 본 저자는 본원에서 방사선 치료를 시행한 환자들의 치료 성적과 재발 양상을 알고자 후향적 분석을 하였다. 대상 및 방법 : 1989년에서 1996년까지 방사선 치료를 시행한 23명의 환자를 대상으로 하였다. 이 중 21댕은 처음 진단시 본과에서 방사선 치료를 하였고 나머지 2댕은 재발 뒤 본과에서 방사선 치료를 받았다. 자기공댕영상상 5명에서 다말성종괴가 관찰되었고 7명에서 뇌실 내 전이 소견이 보였다. 뇌척추액검사를 시행한 15명중 3명에서 종양 세포가 관찰되었다. 종양지표검사상 6명에서 혈장이나 뇌척추액의 베타 응모성선자극 호르몬의 수치가 다소 상승되어 있었다. 21명은 전뇌척수조사를 받았고 2명은 전뇌실조사를 받았다. 결 과 23명 중 21명은 현재 중앙 추적 기간 4 년 시점에서 무병 상태로 관찰되고 있다. 치료 중 백혈구 감소가 3 또는 4단계인 환자는 7명이었고 방사선조사후 내분비 상태가 악화된 환자는 없었다. 전뇌척수조사를 받은 환자중 1명이 저신장으로 성장 호르몬 치료를 받고 있다. 결론 : 본원에서 치료한 두개내 배아종은 기존의 보고와 마찬가지로 높은 관해율을 보이고 있다. 치료 중이나 치료 후의 부작용의 정도와 빈도는 현시점에서 허용 범위에 있는 것으로 생각되었다. 두개내 배아종의 방사선 조사량과 조사 범위, 약물 치료에 관해서는 좀 더 연구가 필요할 것으로 생각된다.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제61권3호
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• pp.333-342
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• 2018

Intracranial germ cell tumors (iGCTs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors with peculiar characteristics clearly distinguished from other brain tumors of neuroepithelial origin. Diverse histology, similarity to gonadal GCT, predilection to one sex, and geographic difference in incidence all present enigmas and fascinating challenges. The treatment of iGCT has advanced for germinoma to date; thus, clinical attention has shifted from survival to long-term quality of life. However, for non-germinomatous GCT, current protocols provide only modest improvement and more innovative therapies are needed. Recently, next-generation sequencing studies have revealed the genomic landscape of iGCT. Novel mutations in the KIT-RAS-MAPK and AKT-MTOR pathways were identified. More importantly, methylation profiling revealed a new method to assess the pathogenesis of iGCT. Molecular research will unleash new knowledge on the origin of iGCT and solve the many mysteries that have lingered on this peculiar neoplasm for a long time.