A case of intramedullary spinal cord tumor producing human chorionic gonadotropin

J Neurooncol. 2002 Feb;56(3):247-50. doi: 10.1023/a:1015028119510.

Abstract

We experienced a case of a persistent trophoblastic disease associated with gradually progressive Brown-Sequard syndrome, which was found to be due to a primary intramedullary spinal cord germinoma with syncytiotrophoblastic giant cells (STGC). We performed both chemotherapy and radiotherapy on separate occasions. Although the chemotherapy appeared to be ineffective, radiotherapy resulted in the disappearance of spinal cord lesions for four years. We reported a case of intramedullary spinal cord germinoma with STGC for which radiotherapy was a better therapeutic modality.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain Stem Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Brain Stem Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Brain Stem Neoplasms / radiotherapy
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin / blood
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Spinal Cord Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Spinal Cord Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Spinal Cord Neoplasms / radiotherapy

Substances

  • Chorionic Gonadotropin