What is primary germ cell tumors?

➢occur along the midline, most commonly in the pineal and the suprasellar regions. ➢They account for 0.2% to 1% of brain tumors in individuals of European descent but in as many as 10% of brain tumors in individuals of Japanese ethnicity. ➢They are a tumor of the young, with 90% occurring during the first 2 decades of life. ➢ Germ cell tumors in the pineal region show a strong male predominance. ➢The most common primary CNS germ cell tumor is germinoma, a tumor that closely resembles testicular seminoma. ➢The positivity of one or two markers (AFP or HCG ) in the blood or the CSF has a definite positive diagnostic value. ➢ For non-secreting tumors, initial histological evidence is essential to clarify the diagnosis