[Diagnosis of Germ Cell Tumors]

Overview

Journal Radiologie (Heidelb)

Specialty Radiology

Date 2023 Jul 5

PMID 37405483

Authors

Armin Bachhuber

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Clinical/methodical Issue: Intracranial germ cell tumors are rare central nervous system (CNS) diseases in Europa and America. Because of their low frequency and lack of typical imaging features, they represent a difficult diagnosis for any radiologist.

Standard Radiological Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a sensible diagnostic tool for the initial diagnosis of germ cell tumors, although it has limitations.

Methodological Innovations: So far, no typical morphologic pattern as a red flag for germ cell tumors has been identified. Correlation with clinical symptoms and laboratory results is mandatory.

Performance: In certain cases, combining the location of the tumor and clinical findings may allow a diagnosis to be made even without histologic confirmation.

Practical Recommendations: In addition to imaging, the radiologist needs the age, background, and laboratory findings to be able to make an accurate diagnosis.

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