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Germ Cell Tumors of the Sellar Region

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Atlas of Sellar and Parasellar Lesions

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Abstract

Germ cell tumors comprise 0.15 % of lesions in major transsphenoidal series.

They frequently present in children and adolescents, with a mean age of 18 years.

Germ cell tumors of the sellar region often (6–13 % of cases) occur as synchronous lesions in association with pineal germinomas (“bifocal disease”). They typically arise in the suprasellar or hypothalamic region and may extend along the floor of the third ventricle.

They often present with “idiopathic” diabetes insipidus, without evidence of a focal mass lesion on MRI (referred to as “occult neurohypophyseal germinoma”). Suprasellar germinoma may be a delayed diagnosis in patients with idiopathic diabetes insipidus who present with infundibular thickening.

Levels of β-hCG are often elevated in the serum and CSF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurological Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1200 N State Street, #3300, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA

    Gabriel Zada MD, MS

  2. Department of Pathology (Neuropathology), University of Virginia School of Medicine, 1215 Lee Street, Room 3060–HEP, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA

    M. Beatriz S. Lopes MD, PhD

  3. Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Srinivasan Mukundan Jr. PhD, MD

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 15 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Edward Laws Jr. MD

Authors
  1. Gabriel Zada MD, MS
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  2. M. Beatriz S. Lopes MD, PhD
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  3. Srinivasan Mukundan Jr. PhD, MD
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  4. Edward Laws Jr. MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gabriel Zada MD, MS .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Southern California, LOS ANGELES, California, USA

    Gabriel Zada

  2. Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia, USA

    M. Beatriz S. Lopes

  3. Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA

    Srinivasan Mukundan Jr.

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA

    Edward R. Laws Jr.

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Zada, G., Lopes, M.B.S., Mukundan, S., Laws, E. (2016). Germ Cell Tumors of the Sellar Region. In: Zada, G., Lopes, M., Mukundan Jr., S., Laws Jr., E. (eds) Atlas of Sellar and Parasellar Lesions. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22855-6_37

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22855-6_37

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-22854-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-22855-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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