title: Primary mediastinal non-seminomatous germ cell tumor associated with hemophagocytic syndrome.
abstract: A 20-year-old man with a primary non-seminomatous mediastinal germ cell tumor (yolk sac tumor and immature teratoma) developed hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) three months after surgical resection. Around the same time, the patient was found to have bone metastases of the germ cell tumor. No other hereditary or acquired diseases related to HPS were found. The thrombocytopenia was refractory to corticosteroid therapy but improved after chemotherapy performed for germ cell tumor progression. Only three cases of germ cell tumor associated with reactive hemophagocytosis have been previously reported. Successful treatment of the present case by chemotherapy for HPS suggests a close relationship between this rare complication and germ cell tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Bioregulatory Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sada
authors.forename: Motoaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiratsuchi
authors.forename: Junnichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kiyasu
authors.forename: Kensaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Idutsu
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ohtsuka
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nagasawa
authors.forename: Kennosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karube
authors.forename: Ryoichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takayanagi
authors.forename: Yasunobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D018240:Endodermal Sinus Tumor / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D051359:Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D012074:Remission Induction; D013724:Teratoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*