1988 Volume 28 Issue 5 Pages 491-497
A metastatic spinal tumor was found in a 28-year-old male 11 years after initial treatment for a pineal tumor. The original tumor had been treated by ventriculoatrial shunting, irradiation, and chemotherapy. The patient underwent laminectomy and subtotal removal of the spinal tumor, which was histologically diagnosed as germinoma. The final diagnosis of metastatic mixed germ cell tumor (mainly teratoma with a germinomatous component) of pineal origin was based on the findings of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, the clinical course, tests for tumor markers, the response of the tumor to radiation therapy, and the histopathological findings. It was inferred that only the germinomatous component of the pineal mixed germ cell tumor had metastasized to the cauda equina.
