Diagnostic analysis of 162 cases of primary intracranial germ cell tumors

Abstract

Objective To summarize the clinical features of primary intracranial germ cell tumors (GCTs).Methods Based on the WHO 2007 classification criteria for CNS tumors,we retrospectively analyzed 162 cases of primary intracranial GCTs admitted into Nanfang Hospital from Jan.2004 to Oct.2013.Results There were 135 cases of single-focus tumors and 27 multi-focus tumors.70.4％ of tumors were originated in pineal region,20.4％ in supra-sellar region,7.4％ in basal ganglion region,and 1.8％ in other regions.The average age of all cases,pineal region cases,supra-sellar region,and basal ganglion region cases,was 14.4 years,14.5 years,14.9 years,and 12.6 years,respectively.The male/female ratio was 7.1∶1 in all cases,and 18∶1 in pineal region cases,1.4∶1 in supra-sellar region cases,and 5∶1 in basal ganglion region cases.The positive rate of tumor markers was 42.5％,and germinomas accounted for 46.9％ of all cases.Conclusions The clinical features of GCTs are special,and detailed analysis of clinical data is helpful for the diagnosis.More than a half of patients will achieve ideal therapeutic results through timely diagnosis and reasonable treatment. Key words: Central nervous system; Pineal region; Sellar region; Basal ganglion region; Germ cell tumors; Pathology