Imaging Features Predictive of Recurrence in Pediatric Intracranial Germ-Cell Tumors

Intracranial germ-cell tumors (GCTs) are a heterogeneous group of tumors that vary in their response to treatment. Standard treatment consists of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, with the consideration of second-look surgery in resistant disease. The present study aims to inform therapy by characterizing features on pretreatment imaging associated with recurrence.

Children with intracranial GCTs treated at a single institution between January 2000 and October 2016 were retrospectively reviewed under an Institutional Review Board-approved protocol. Imaging variables identified on pretreatment imaging were calcifications, cysts, heterogeneity of enhancement, blood products, hydrocephalus, gradient echo susceptibility, restricted diffusion, invasiveness, and extent of edema. Tumor recurrence was used as the primary outcome variable.

Fifty-two patients (39 males, mean age at diagnosis: 13 ± 5 years, 34 germinoma, 18 nongerminomatous GCT [NGGCT]) were reviewed. Thirty-three percent of the patients reviewed had recurrence (7 germinoma, 11 NGGCT). Recurrence was associated with invasiveness as seen on preoperative imaging (p = 0.0385) and cystic tumor (p = 0.048).