Extragonadal Intraabdominal Mixed Germ Cell Tumor with Liver Metastasis: Successful Treatment and Long-term Follow-up

Abstract

Extragonadal germ cell tumors (GCTs) are thought to derive from primordial germ cell precursors that become sequestered during embryologic migration and survive in ectopic locations. Their anatomic location can vary widely, with tumors occurring along the body midline, following the course of embryonal germ cells. Preferred sites include the mediastinum, the sacrococcygeal and pineal regions, the neck, and the retroperitoneum. Intraabdominally located extragonadal GCTs are extremely rare, with only a few cases reported in the English literature. We describe here an 18-month-old girl with an intraabdominal mixed GCT and liver metastasis, who was treated by surgical excision and postoperative chemotherapy.