Primary pineal endodermal sinus tumor with elevated serum and CSF alphafetoprotein levels. Case report

A 12-year-old girl with an alphafetoprotein-producing brain tumor in the pineal region is presented. The marker was detected in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid. The amount of the marker decreased after irradiation of the tumor and systemic chemotherapy and increased prior to tumor recurrence. At autopsy, the tumor was histopathologically diagnosed as an endodermal sinus tumor, and alphafetoprotein was demonstrated in the tumor cells by the immunofluorescence method. Alphafetoprotein may represent a specific and sensitive marker for predicting tumor histopathology and for monitoring the therapeutic response in patients with primary intracranial germ-cell tumors.