title: [Clinical features and microsurgical management of rare tumors in the sellar region].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical characteristics and microsurgical managements of rare tumors in the sellar region.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six rare cases of tumors in the sellar region treated by microsurgery from Jan 2000 to Jan 2010 were reviewed retrospectively. Subsequent treatments were according to the status of preoperative alpha fetal protein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) measurement as well as confirmed by histopathological examination in all six patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total resection of the tumor was achieved in 2 cases and subtotal resection in 4 cases. Postoperative histopathology confirmed that the lesions were tumors in 5 cases and fungal pseudotumor in 1 case. Moreover, variety of histological types were observed in the present series, including leiomyosarcoma, malignant yolk sac tumor, mixed germ cell tumor, embryonal carcinoma, pilocytic astrocytoma and fungal pseudotumor, respectively. The serum levels of AFP and HCG were elevated to some extent in the patients with malignant yolk sac tumor, mixed germ cell tumor or embryonal carcinoma. Follow-up was conducted in all patients for 1 month to 3 years. The patients with malignant yolk sac tumor and embryonal carcinoma as well as leiomyosarcoma died in 5, 6, 10 months after operation, respectively. Subarachnoid hemorrhage occurred in the case of fungal pseudotumor at 2 months after surgery. The other two patients were surviving well.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rare non-germinomatous malignant germ cell tumors are predominantly susceptible to the sellar region. Furthermore, High misdiagnosis rate and poor prognosis are characteristic in the present study. Dynamic AFP and HCG detection may play an important role in the diagnosis of those non-germinomatous malignant germ cell tumors located in the sellar region. The importance of awareness of the presence of such rare lesions in the sellar region is emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
authors.forename: Fu-you
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Lai-jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hong-wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018236:Carcinoma, Embryonal / Q000473:pathology; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood; D018240:Endodermal Sinus Tumor / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins