Abstract
Malignant germ cells represent approximately 1-3% of all cancers in children and adolescents. We also encounter germinal tumors intracranially, especially in the pituitary gland and in the pineal landscape.
Germinal CNS tumors represent 5% of all germinal tumors, but are treated differently from germinal tumors in other locations and are usually brain tumors. Germinal tumors are a very heterogeneous group of tumors.
Their origin is derived from totipotent cells at the level of germ cells or from multipotent cells of tissues at the level of early stages of embryonic development. Histopathological WHO classification distinguishes between germinoma, teratoma (mature, immature, with malignant component), embryonic carcinoma, yolk sac tumor, choriocarcinoma, gonadoblastoma, polyembryoma and mixed germinal tumors.
The biological behavior of GN is very different. It varies from benign forms (mature, differentiated teratoma) through uncertain behavior in others (immature differentiated teratoma, gonadoblastoma) to highly malignant tumors.