Intracranial choriocarcinoma causing precocious puberty and cured with combined modality therapy.

Abstract

Precocious puberty can be caused by hormonally active tumours, which may arise intracranially. Treatment of these intracranial lesions traditionally involves biopsy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy has been used recently, although radiotherapy has been given irrespective of the response to chemotherapy. We report a case of precocious puberty in an 8 year old boy due to a malignant intracranial germ cell tumour. Although one could speculate that he was cured by such combined modality therapy, the patient was left with several long-term problems. Radiotherapy was a major cause of these complications. Radiotherapy is now thought unnecessary for most extracranial germ cell tumours, as chemotherapy alone is curative in most patients. Therefore it seems appropriate to consider the elimination of radiotherapy for patients with intracranial disease.

• Authors: R J Massie, P J Shaw, M Burgess
• Journal: Journal of paediatrics and child health (J Paediatr Child Health) Vol. 29 Issue 6 Pg. 464-7 (Dec 1993) ISSN: 1034-4810 [Print] Australia
• PMID: 8286166 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Alopecia (etiology)
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (therapeutic use)
• Brain Neoplasms (complications, therapy)
• Child
• Child Behavior Disorders (etiology)
• Choriocarcinoma (complications, therapy)
• Combined Modality Therapy
• Hemianopsia (chemically induced)
• Humans
• Learning Disabilities (etiology)
• Male
• Pineal Gland
• Puberty, Precocious (etiology)
• Radiotherapy (adverse effects)