Combined occurrence of third ventricular germinoma and hypothalamic mixed glioma.

A unique combination of occurrence of the 3rd ventricular germinoma and hypothalamic cystic mixed astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma is encountered in a 15-year-old man who presented clinically with stunted growth of the body, diabetes insipidus, and stupor. The germinoma was diagnosed by biopsy but the hypothalamic glioma was discovered at autopsy. Immunohistochemical localization of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the neoplastic cells confirmed the gliomatous nature of the hypothalamic lesion. The probability of multiple tumors should be kept in mind in dealing with intracranial neoplasms in order that the patient will be properly diagnosed and managed.