Intracranial germ cell tumor indicating a high level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)

An autopsy case of intracranial and extrapineal tumor is reported. The tumor, detected 2 years and 4 months before death, was an ectopic pinealoma (germ cell tumor) and showed elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) of 48,000 ng/ml. Histologically, intra- and extracellular PAS-positive hyaline globules were observed in the tumor. The tumor tissues of the paraffin sections revealed a bright positive fluorescence for AFP with indirect immunofluorescence method. Besides, there were generalized metastases in this case.