Intramedullary recurrence of germinoma in the spinal cord 15 years after complete remission of a pineal lesion

Abstract

The authors present a case of germinoma that was initially found in the pineal region and recurred 15 years later in the intramedullary cervical spinal cord after intensive chemo- and radiotherapy and diagnosis of complete remission. This 28-year-old man initially presented with seizures. Hydrocephalus and a pineal tumor were found on radiological examination, and partial resection of the tumor was performed. Histological diagnosis showed a pure germinoma. Following surgery, the patient received a combination of chemo- and radiotherapy, and a complete remission was shown. However, after 15 years of follow-up, he presented with gait disturbances. Spinal MRI showed an intramedullary mass lesion in the cervical spinal cord. The cervical lesion was biopsied, and histological examination again revealed a pure germinoma. With germinomas, the possibility of a drop metastasis from an intracranial lesion to the spinal cord must be considered during follow-up. However, in the present case, analysis of a CSF sample showed no abnormalities as in previously published cases. In recent years, multidisciplinary treatments have demonstrated good event-free survival rates in cases of pure germinomas, but long-term outcomes over the decades are not fully known. Continual follow-up of such cases is recommended even after complete remission has been achieved.