Intracranial mixed germ cell tumor with syncytiotrophoblastic giant cells and precocious puberty

Acta Neuropathol. 1988;75(4):427-31. doi: 10.1007/BF00687797.

Abstract

A 9-year-old male patient developed a germ cell tumor in the right basal ganglia which secreted beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG) and caused precocious puberty. Histology and immunohistochemical staining for placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), alpha-fetoprotein (alpha-FP), and beta-HCG showed a mixed population of neoplastic germinocytes, embryonal carcinoma, and syncytiotrophoblastic giant cells (STGC). Immunohistochemical double-staining for alpha-FP and beta-HCG revealed that these two markers were produced by different subsets of cells. Expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67 showed a growth fraction of 53% for the neoplastic germinocytes and embryonal carcinoma cells, but only 21% for the STGC.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Alkaline Phosphatase / analysis
  • Brain Neoplasms / analysis
  • Brain Neoplasms / complications
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Child
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin / analysis
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / analysis
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / complications
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / pathology*
  • Puberty, Precocious / etiology*
  • alpha-Fetoproteins / analysis

Substances

  • Chorionic Gonadotropin
  • alpha-Fetoproteins
  • Alkaline Phosphatase