Tumors, Germ Cell

Medical Condition:
Tumors, Germ Cell

A malignant neoplasm of the germinal tissue of the gonads, mediastinum, or pineal region such as seminomas. The degree of differentiation to form adult cell types varies. The germ cell tumors of infants and children reflect the transformation of primordial cells that have failed to migrate to their predestined location. Germinomas are uniform in appearance, consisting of large, round cells with vesicular nuclei and clear or finely granular eosinophilic-staining cytoplasm. (Stedman, 265th ed; from DeVita Jr et al., Cancer: Principles & Practice of Oncology, 3d ed, pp1642-3)