Neurohypophyseal germinoma traced from its earliest stage via magnetic resonance imaging: case report.

BACKGROUND

We report a case in which magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) documented the formation of a neurohypophyseal germinoma from its earliest stage.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 9-year-old girl presented with polyuria, polydipsia, and growth retardation. Urinary and endocrinological examination indicated diabetes insipidus (DI) and growth hormone deficiency. No clear evidence of a mass in the hypothalamo-pituitary area was apparent on the first MRI scan. Follow-up MRIs and endocrinological examinations revealed that a tumor, arising from the stalk and posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, formed a mass and caused anterior pituitary function to deteriorate. Histologic diagnosis was germinoma based on open biopsy.

CONCLUSION

Radiologic findings in this case indicated the primary site of this intrasellar germinoma to be the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal region, designating this a "neurohypophyseal germinoma."