Large mediastinal germ cell tumor with disease progression during systemic therapy

A 29-year-old male developed acute onset severe shortness of breath and fevers and was found to have a 17 cm anterior mediastinal mass with immature teratoma and possible mixed germ cell tumor on biopsy. He remained hospitalized during neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy due to compressive symptoms from his mass and neutropenic fevers. Despite 3 cycles of therapy, his tumor mildly increased in size. After multidisciplinary discussion, he underwent urgent en bloc resection with a right hemi-clamshell incision. His postoperative course was uncomplicated and he was discharged to home within a week. His final pathology demonstrated mixed germ cell tumor.