Abstract

Intracranial tumours histologically identical with seminoma or dysgerminoma of the gonads have been called ectopic pinealoma, germinoma and atypical teratoma. The origin of these tumors is difficult to explain. Primitive germ cells migrate over wide areas of the embryo during early embryonic life. Very occasionally such germ cells have been observed within the developing brain of the embryo. We have experienced 5 cases of intracranial tumors which were confirmed histopathologically as germinoma or teratoma during last 5 years at St. Mary Hospital, Catholic Medical College. The patients were between 12 and 23 years old. All of the cases were males except one case of germinoma. The chief complaints of the male patients were nausea, vomiting and visual disturbances, and histological diagnosis of these cases were 3 germinoma and 1 teratoma. The female patient was 21 years old. The symptoms were those of diabetes inspidus such as polydipaia and polyuria, nausea, vomiting, weight loss and amenorrhea of several months duration. Histologically, it was proved as germinoina.