title: Complete disappearance of giant intracranial germinoma after irradiation.
abstract: Intracranial germinomas are lesions with a varying, rather benign growth potential, and account for only 0.3 to 1.5% of all brain tumors. About 70% of the patients with these tumors are between 10 and 21 years of age at diagnosis. Germinomas are radiosensitive and respond well also to chemotherapy. The case of a 22-year-old male patient with a giant primary intracranial germinoma originating in the pineal region is presented. Clinical signs and symptoms are described together with neuroradiological, light-microscopic, and immunohistochemical findings. The tumor was irradiated with a total dose of 46 Gy and disappeared completely already after an effective tumor dose of 30 Gy. No recurrence was seen during a follow-up of three years. The patient's quality of life could be preserved and a complete cure was achieved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Martin-Luther-University Halle, Fed. Rep. of Germany.
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Rainov
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Holzhausen
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Burkert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018237:Germinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed