The authors present a case of
germinoma that was initially found in the pineal region and recurred 15 years later in the intramedullary cervical spinal cord after intensive chemo- and
radiotherapy and diagnosis of complete remission. This 28-year-old man initially presented with
seizures.
Hydrocephalus and a
pineal tumor were found on radiological examination, and partial resection of the
tumor was performed. Histological diagnosis showed a pure
germinoma. Following surgery, the patient received a combination of chemo- and
radiotherapy, and a complete remission was shown. However, after 15 years of follow-up, he presented with gait disturbances. Spinal MRI showed an intramedullary mass lesion in the cervical spinal cord. The cervical lesion was biopsied, and histological examination again revealed a pure
germinoma. With
germinomas, the possibility of a drop
metastasis from an intracranial lesion to the spinal cord must be considered during follow-up. However, in the present case, analysis of a CSF sample showed no abnormalities as in previously published cases. In recent years, multidisciplinary treatments have demonstrated good event-free survival rates in cases of pure
germinomas, but long-term outcomes over the decades are not fully known. Continual follow-up of such cases is recommended even after complete remission has been achieved.