Metastasis of an intracranial germinoma through a ventriculoperitoneal shunt: recurrence as a yolk-sac tumor.

Extraneural metastases of intracranial germinomas, although infrequent, are associated with a generally poor prognosis despite the high radiosensitivity of localized primary tumors. Ventriculoperitoneal shunts have been implicated in facilitating metastatic spread of primary intracranial germinomas. We present a case of a successfully irradiated suprasellar germinoma recurring after 13 months as an intra-abdominal yolk-sac tumor in a young man. The tumor was eradicated with a combination of systemic chemotherapy and local irradiation, with no residual viable tumor cells confirmed at final surgical extirpation. The role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts in metastases, mixed germ-cell tumor histology, and tumor markers in recurrences as well as radiation doses and volumes for treating primary tumors are discussed. Systemic chemotherapy may be utilized as prophylaxis against shunt metastases when CSF drainage is necessary.