Primary Mediastinal Choriocarcinoma

Synonyms

Chorionepithelioma; Chorionic carcinoma; Chorionic epithelioma

Definition

Choriocarcinoma is a highly malignant tumor of trophoblastic origin that forms part of the spectrum of gestational trophoblastic disease but is also well documented to occur outside of the uterus including sites such as the testis, ovary, central nervous system, and mediastinum. The mediastinum is the most common anatomic site for extragonadal germ cell tumors in adults, and the tumors occur almost exclusively in males. Histological classification at this site closely resembles that used in the gonads and includes teratomas, seminomas, yolk sac tumors, embryonal carcinoma, choriocarcinoma, and mixed germ cell tumors. The existence of primary mediastinal choriocarcinoma has been a matter of debate since it is well known that primary testicular germ cell tumors often metastasize widely before their origin in the gonads is identified. Nevertheless, the absence of any tumor in the gonads by palpation and/or...