GERM CELL SEMINOMA

Course overview

GERMINOMA IS AN UNCOMMON PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR THAT IS MORPHOLOGICALLY IDENTICAL TO ITS GONADAL COUNTERPART: TESTICULAR SEMINOMA AND OVARIAN DYSGERMINOMA. IT IS A MALIGNANT GERM CELL TUMOR SEEN AT A YOUNGER AGE GROUP. THE MOST COMMON SITES INVOLVED BY THE TUMOR ARE THE PINEAL GLAND, FOLLOWED BY THE SUPRASELLAR REGION. VERY RARELY, IT MAY ARISE IN THE THALAMUS, VENTRICLES, OR BASAL GANGLIA. EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT ARE CRITICAL BECAUSE THE TUMOR IS HIGHLY RADIOSENSITIVE, AND 5-YEAR SURVIVAL RATES ARE ESTIMATED TO BE GREATER THAN 90%. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE COMMON CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND EVALUATION OF THE DISEASE AND HIGHLIGHTS THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF AN INTERDISCIPLINARY MEDICAL TEAM FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT AND LONG-TERM FOLLOW UP OF THE PATIENTS WITH GERMINOMA.