Intracranial germ cell tumors are a heterogeneous group of rare tumors.

Epidemiology

Germ cell tumors are rare CNS tumors that primarily affect adolescents and young adults, with peak incidence between 10 and 19 years of age¹. In Europe and North America, germ cell tumors account for approximately 1-3% of all intracranial tumors, whereas in East Asia, germ cell tumors account for approximately 8-15% of all CNS tumors².

Localization

Intracranial germ cell tumors most commonly occur in the region of the Glandula pinealis or suprasellar region³.

Tumor entities

The following tumors are classified as intracranial germ cell tumors:

Germinomas
Teratomas
Yolk sac tumors
Choriocarcinomas
Embryonal carcinomas

Mixed tumors may also occur and can contain all subunits in varying proportions.

References

Frappaz, Didier, et al. "EANO, SNO and Euracan consensus review on the current management and future development of intracranial germ cell tumors in adolescents and young adults." Neuro-Oncology 24.4 (2022): 516-527. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
Lo, Andrea C., et al. "Intracranial germ cell tumors in adolescents and young adults: a 40-year multi-institutional review of outcomes." International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics 106.2 (2020): 269-278. ↩ ↩