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Intracranial Germ-Cell Tumors

  • Chapter
Book cover Management of Childhood Brain Tumors

Part of the book series: Foundations of Neurological Surgery ((FONS,volume 3))

Abstract

Histologically, the types of germ-cell tumors arising intracranially are identical to the gonadal varieties. Unfortunately, a diverse and often confusing terminology has been applied to the intracranial germ-cell tumors (table 16–1). The germinoma, histologically identical to testicular seminoma or ovarian dysgerminoma, is the most common intracranial germ-cell tumor. When arising in the suprasellar area, it has sometimes been referred to as atypical teratoma or ectopic pinealoma—an unfortunate choice of terms. In the Japanese literature, intracranial germinoma, regardless of location, is often referred to as pinealoma. Teratoma is another term often used in a confusing manner without a qualifying adjective such as benign, immature, or malignant. The benign teratoma has mature elements of the three germ-cell layers without any evidence of malignant transformation.

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Authors
  1. Melvin Deutsch
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Melvin Deutsch M.D. (Professor) (Professor)

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© 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Deutsch, M. (1990). Intracranial Germ-Cell Tumors. In: Deutsch, M. (eds) Management of Childhood Brain Tumors. Foundations of Neurological Surgery, vol 3. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1501-8_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1501-8_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8807-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-1501-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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