Intracranial multiple midline germinomas: is histological verification crucial for therapy?
In this report we present two patients with intracranial multiple midline tumours in the suprasellar region and pineal gland. We postulate that in a patient with multiple midline tumours and normal values of the tumour markers human chorionic gonadotropin and alpha-fetoprotein in serum and cerebrospinal fluid, the only possible diagnosis is a germinoma. In such a situation no histological confirmation is required to start low-dose radiotherapy.
van Battum
P
P
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Maastricht, the Netherlands. Pbat@sint.azm.nl
Huijberts
M S P
MS
Heijckmann
A C
AC
Wilmink
J T
JT
Nieuwenhuijzen Kruseman
A C
AC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003919:Diabetes Insipidus / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D018237:Germinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000473:pathology