title: Primary intramedullary spinal germ cell tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intramedullary spinal germ cell tumors are rare lesions, with germinomas being the most common variant.
  
  
  METHODS
  To date, there have been 23 reports of primary intramedullary germ cell tumors described in the literature, the vast majority occurring in Japanese patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We present a case of a nonmetastatic intramedullary germ cell tumor in a 28-year-old Caucasian woman.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Characteristics of intramedullary germ cell tumors are summarized, and the current role for surgery and adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Vivek A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: Ryan M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kretzer
authors.forename: Brent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Orr
authors.forename: George I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Jallo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D020336:Paraparesis, Spastic / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery