Abstract
Introduction: Primary mediastinal germ cell tumors (PMGCT) are rare. They account for 4% of all pediatric MGCT patients. We herein describe the clinical and para-clinical varieties of PMGCT in children and adolescents and their surgical treatment and prognosis.
Methods: We have retrospectively reviewed 6 cases of PMGCT operated in the thoracic surgery department of Abderrahman Mami Hospital Ariana in Tunisia between 2000 and 2021.
Results: There were 5 males and 1 female. The mean age was 13 years. Chest pain (n=5) and non-productive cough (n=3) were the most frequent complaints. The thoracic CT scan showed a heterogeneous mediastinal mass located in the anterior and superior mediastinum(n=6) with lobulated contours (n=2), compressing the cardiac cavities and the large vessels (n=2). The tumor markers (alpha-fetoprotein and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin) were measured in 3 patients were positive in 1. The approaches were postero-lateral thoracothomy (n=2), sternotomy (n=1), lateral mini-thoracotomy video-assisted (n=1), exclusive video-thoracoscopy (n=1), and elective approach (n=1). Surgical procedures were tumor resection (n=4) and tumor biopsy (n=2). The postoperative course was uneventful (n=6). Pathology examination concluded to a teratoma (n=2), a seminoma (n=1) and a non-seminomatous germ cell tumor (n=3). After 2 years of follow-up, among patients hading carcinological resection, one patient had a tumor recurrence.
Conclusion: PMGCT represent a therapeutic multimodal challenge. Benign types had an excellent prognosis provided when surgical excision is complete, but malignant tumors, have a worse prognosis.
Footnotes
Cite this article as Eur Respir J 2022; 60: Suppl. 66, 3947.
This article was presented at the 2022 ERS International Congress, in session “-”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2022
