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Translational Neuroscience and Clinics  2016, Vol. 2 Issue (1): 25-30    doi: 10.18679/CN11-6030/R.2016.001
Original Articles     
Malignant transformation and treatment of cystic mixed germ cell tumor
Yapeng Zhao1, Hongyu Duan2, Qinghui Zhang1,2, Bingxin Shi1, Hui Liang2, Yuqi Zhang1,2
1 The Medical Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China;
2 Department of Neurosurgery, Tsinghua University Yuquan Hospital, Beijing 100040, China
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Abstract  Objective: The authors report an extremely unusual presentation and management of a children pineal mixed germ cell tumor mainly composed of immature teratoma, aiming to summarize main theraptic points by literature review. Methods: A cystic lesion located in the rear of third ventricle in a child was detected 3 years ago with no other therapy performed except for a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. During the following 3 years, intermitted regular brain MRI demonstrated no evidence of lesion aggrandizement. However from 20 days before admission to our institute the patient began to present acutely with exacerbating clinical symptoms meanwhile brain MRI showed signs of abrupt revulsions of initial lesion without any incentive cause. Neurological examination revealed a significant rising of serum tumor marker level. Then surgical resection was performed immediately after admission which was followed by correlative two-course chemotherapy. Results: Postoperative brain MRI demonstrated totally removing of the lesion in rear of third ventricle. Serum tumor marker level decreased remarkably after surgery and declined to normal level after two-course chemotherapy. No obvious neurological deficit occurred except for short-term memory difficulty which gradually recovered within two weeks. Soon after the second course chemotherapy the patient was currently asymptomatic and returned to school. Conclusions: (1) To ensure definitive diagnosis and proper therapecutic protocols benefit from grasping clinical features of mixed germ cell tumor. (2) Overall preoperative investigation including serum tumor marker level is as critical as neurological imaging examination. (3) Surgical excision is confirmed to be the key modality of treatment. With the regarding of mixed germ cell tumor, never highlight total resection too much. (4) Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended as further intensive treatment to improve the prognosis of mix germ cell tumor.

Key wordsgerm cell tumor      surgery      chemotherapy      prognosis     
Received: 03 December 2015      Published: 31 March 2016
Corresponding Authors: Yuqi Zhang, E-mail: yuqi9597@sina.com     E-mail: yuqi9597@sina.com
Cite this article:

Yapeng Zhao, Hongyu Duan, Qinghui Zhang, Bingxin Shi, Hui Liang, Yuqi Zhang. Malignant transformation and treatment of cystic mixed germ cell tumor. Translational Neuroscience and Clinics, 2016, 2(1): 25-30.

URL:

http://tnc.tsinghuajournals.com/10.18679/CN11-6030/R.2016.001     OR     http://tnc.tsinghuajournals.com/Y2016/V2/I1/25

 Figure 1 The MRI (2013) showed a cystic lesion in the rear of third ventricle.
 Figure 2 The MRI (2015) showed the mass remarkably enlarged in size and the solid component became predominant instead of prior cystic lesion.
 Table 1 Preoperative and postoperative serum tumor marker levels
 Figure 3(a–c) MRI showed that the brain stem is obviously compressed by the tumor: Figures 3a and 3b showing tumor hemorrhage, and Figure 3c showing the tumor blood supply.
 Figure 4 Diffuse-Tensor MR imaging (DTI) showed the integrity of corpus callosum and fornix fiber.
 Figure 7 Diffuse-Tensor MR imaging (DTI) showed partial destruction of callosal fiber tracts, the left dome structure was well preserved.
 Figure 5 MRI showed that the tumor was totally removed with a satisfied result in magnetic resonance imaging findings in the 10th days after surgery.
 Figure 6 MRI showed that a small amount of hemorrhage and necrosis were observed in the tumor area one week after chemotherapy in MRI findings.
 Figure 6 MRI showed that a small amount of hemorrhage and necrosis were observed in the tumor area one week after chemotherapy in MRI findings.
 Figure 8(a–b) Pathological examination revealing mixed germ cell tumor.
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