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Neuroendocrine carcinoma in a mediastinal teratoma as a rare variant of somatic-type malignancy

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Abstract

Somatic-type malignancy (STM), defined as any sarcoma, carcinoma, leukemia or lymphoma developing in a germ cell tumor, occurs in approximately 2 % of all germ cell tumors. Neuroendocrine carcinoma developing in a mediastinal germ cell tumor has not been previously reported. We here describe a 22-year-old man who underwent resection of a 11-cm mediastinal teratoma which consisted of components of all three germ cell layers with prominent foci of fetal-like liver tissue. The liver areas were surrounded by primitive neuroendocrine structures with ductal and solid growth pattern with a high proliferation rate. We diagnosed an immature mediastinal teratoma with STM, specifically neuroendocrine carcinoma arising in a background of immature liver tissue. Comparative genomic hybridization of dissected tumor tissue revealed chromosomal gains at 12 in the teratoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma component. In summary, clinicians and pathologists should be aware of neuroendocrine carcinoma as a rare type of STM complicating mediastinal germ cell tumors.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Krüer, Group Practice for Pathology, Molecular Pathology and Cytology, Osnabrück, Germany, for his contribution to the diagnosis and providing tumor samples for further examination.

Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany

    Inga-Marie Schaefer & Philipp Ströbel

  2. Division of Thoracic Surgery and Lung Support, Ibbenbüren General Hospital, Ibbenbüren, Germany

    Patrick Zardo, Stefan Freermann & Stefan Fischer

  3. Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany

    Alexander Marx

Authors
  1. Inga-Marie Schaefer
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  2. Patrick Zardo
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  3. Stefan Freermann
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  4. Alexander Marx
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  5. Philipp Ströbel
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  6. Stefan Fischer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Inga-Marie Schaefer.

Additional information

Inga-Marie Schaefer and Patrick Zardo contributed equally.

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Schaefer, IM., Zardo, P., Freermann, S. et al. Neuroendocrine carcinoma in a mediastinal teratoma as a rare variant of somatic-type malignancy. Virchows Arch 463, 731–735 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-013-1476-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-013-1476-3

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