Stereotactic radiosurgery followed by whole ventricular irradiation for primary intracranial germinoma of the pineal region.

Intracranial germinomas can be cured by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Three patients with pineal germinoma were treated with stereotactic radiosurgery using the gamma knife (10 - 12 Gy) to the tumors followed by whole ventricular irradiation (24 Gy). All patients had solitary pineal tumor measuring less than 3 cm, clinically compatible with germinoma, normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, no disseminated disease on spinal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and no abnormal CSF cytology. All patients showed complete response to the combined radiotherapy, and MR imaging has shown no recurrence of the tumor. Combined radiotherapy using gamma knife radiosurgery is effective for pineal germinoma, and reduced the cost of treatment with less need for hospitalization.