So-called bifocal tumors with diabetes insipidus and negative tumor markers: are they all germinoma?

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The Delphi consensus statements on the management of germ cell tumors (GCTs) failed to reach agreements on the statement that the cases with (i) pineal and neurohypophyseal bifocal lesion, (ii) with diabetes insipidus, and (iii) with negative tumor markers can be diagnosed as germinoma without histological verification. To answer this, multicenter retrospective analysis was performed.

METHODS:

A questionnaire on clinical findings, histological diagnosis, and details of surgical procedures was sent to 86 neurosurgical and 35 pediatrics departments in Japan.

RESULTS:

Fifty-one institutes reported 132 cases that fulfilled the 3 criteria. Tissue sampling was performed in 91 cases from pineal (n = 44), neurohypophyseal (n = 32), both (n = 6), and distant (n = 9) lesions. Histological diagnosis was established in 89 cases: pure germinoma or germinoma with syncytiotrophoblastic giant cells in 82 (92.1%) cases, germinoma and mature teratoma in 2 cases, and granulomatous inflammation in 2 cases. Histological diagnosis was not established in 2 cases. Although no tumors other than GCTs were identified, 3 (3.4%) patients had non-germinomatous GCTs (NGGCTs). None of the patients developed permanent complications after endoscopic or stereotactic biopsy. Thirty-nine patients underwent simultaneous procedure for acute hydrocephalus without permanent complications, and hydrocephalus was controlled in 94.9% of them.

CONCLUSION:

All patients who fulfilled the 3 criteria had GCTs or granulomatous inflammation, but not other types of tumors. However, no fewer than 3.4% of the patients had NGGCTs. Considering the safety and the effects of simultaneous procedures for acute hydrocephalus, biopsy was recommended in such patients.

• Authors: Masayuki Kanamori, Hirokazu Takami, Shigeru Yamaguchi, Takashi Sasayama, Koji Yoshimoto, Teiji Tominaga, Akihiro Inoue, Naokado Ikeda, Atsushi Kambe, Toshihiro Kumabe, Masahide Matsuda, Shota Tanaka, Manabu Natsumeda, Ken-Ichiro Matsuda, Masahiro Nonaka, Jun Kurihara, Masayoshi Yamaoka, Naoki Kagawa, Naoki Shinojima, Tetsuya Negoto, Yukiko Nakahara, Yoshiki Arakawa, Seiji Hatazaki, Hiroaki Shimizu, Atsuo Yoshino, Hiroshi Abe, Jiro Akimoto, Yu Kawanishi, Tomonari Suzuki, Atsushi Natsume, Motoo Nagane, Yukinori Akiyama, Dai Keino, Tadateru Fukami, Takahiro Tomita, Kohei Kanaya, Tsutomu Tokuyama, Shuichi Izumoto, Mitsutoshi Nakada, Daisuke Kuga, Shohei Yamamoto, Ryogo Anei, Takeo Uzuka, Junya Fukai, Noriyuki Kijima, Keita Terashima, Koichi Ichimura, Ryo Nishikawa
• Journal: Neuro-oncology (Neuro Oncol) Vol. 23 Issue 2 Pg. 295-303 (02 25 2021) ISSN: 1523-5866 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 32818237 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study)
• Copyright: © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected].

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor

Topics

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Brain Neoplasms
• Child
• Diabetes Insipidus (etiology)
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Germinoma (complications, diagnosis)
• Humans
• Male
• Pineal Gland
• Retrospective Studies