Primary germ cell tumors of the mediastinum: 10 years of experience in a tertiary teaching hospital.
Germ cell tumors occur mostly in the gonad. Extragonadal germ cell tumors are rare, and most occur in the retroperitoneum and mediastinum. Primary mediastinal germ cell tumors are often found in the anterior portion of the mediastinum and include teratomas and non-teratomatous tumors. Non-teratomatous tumors include seminomas and malignant non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (MNSGCTs). MNSGCTs include yolk sac tumors, choriocarcinomas, embryonal carcinomas, and mixed type germ cell tumors. Teratomas are the most common germ cell tumors of the mediastinum, and seminomas are the most common non-teratomatous germ cell tumors of the mediastinum. Cases of primary mediastinal MNSGCT reported in the literature are rare. In this report, we review all primary mediastinal germ cell tumors from a 10-year period at the Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital of Kaohsiung Medical University. A total of 14 cases were reviewed, including 11 patients with mature teratomas, two with yolk sac tumors, and one with seminoma. We discuss the differences in clinical presentation, histopathologic characteristics, treatment, and prognosis.
Yang
Chih-Jen
CJ
Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Cheng
Meng-Shuan
MS
Chou
Shah-Hwa
SH
Tsai
Kun-Bow
KB
Huang
Ming-Shyan
MS
D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D018237:Germinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology