Publication

Relapse and subarachnoid dissemination of a pineal germinoma 14 years after radiation therapy

Journal Paper/Review - May 1, 1999

Units
PubMed

Citation
Von Rohr E, Gönner F, Schroth G, Cerny T. Relapse and subarachnoid dissemination of a pineal germinoma 14 years after radiation therapy. Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia 1999; 6:247-9.
Type
Journal Paper/Review (English)
Journal
Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia 1999; 6
Publication Date
May 1, 1999
Issn Print
0967-5868
Pages
247-9
Brief description/objective

Intracranial germinomas are rare tumours which are highly curable with radiotherapy. In recent years treatment with chemotherapy has gained importance. Recurrence and dissemination is seen in about 10-20% of cases within the first 2 years after diagnosis; late recurrence and dissemination is very rare. We describe a patient with a recurrent germinoma 14 years after radiotherapy of a pineal tumour. We further report the management with chemotherapy, the late side effects of radiotherapy and the course of the disease with its fatal dissemination. We conclude that the use of radiotherapy, despite being highly effective, is clearly limited by its late side-effects. New regimens with chemotherapy seem promising but proved to be less effective in our case with tumour seeding throughout the subarachnoid space.