title: Primary endodermal sinus tumor in the posterior cranial fossa: clinical analysis of 7 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the clinical features, therapeutic method and outcomes of the primary endodermal sinus tumors (ESTs) in the posterior cranial fossa.
  
  
  METHODS
  The English literatures on EST in the posterior cranial fossa were retrieved from PubMed and reviewed. And a 4-year-old boy diagnosed with EST in our hospital was reported. The clinical manifestations, therapy, pathologic features, and prognosis of these cases were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only seven cases of the ESTs in the posterior cranial fossa were enrolled in this review, including six cases searched from the PubMed and one case from our hospital. Six patients were boy and one patient's gender was not available from the report. Ages ranged from 1 to 5 years (mean 3.14 years). The mean tumor size in our cohort was 4.4 cm. Six cases came from East Asia. Schiller-Duval bodies were found in all seven neoplasms. All tumors were positive for alpha-fetoprotein. The alpha-fetoprotein level in serum was increased to a very high level before therapy and depressed quickly after the effective chemotherapy. The mean follow-up time was 24.4 months (range 5-52 months). Six tumors were totally removed, and four of them recurred. Three cases died including one whose tumor was partially removed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The serum alpha-fetoprotein level is well correlated with the severity of the tumor. A combination of operation and chemotherapy might be the effective management for EST in the posterior cranial fossa. The prognosis of extragonadal intracranial EST is poor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China.
authors.forename: Ming-chao
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China.
authors.forename: Dong-liang
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China.
authors.forename: Wei-cheng
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery,the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China.
authors.forename: Yu-gong
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, China.
authors.forename: Li-min
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003388:Cranial Fossa, Posterior; D018240:Endodermal Sinus Tumor / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins