Acute Leukemia and Concurrent Mediastinal Germ Cell Tumor: Case Report and Literature Review

Fetal Pediatr Pathol. 2017 Apr;36(2):168-176. doi: 10.1080/15513815.2016.1273983. Epub 2017 Jan 19.

Abstract

There is a known association of primary nonseminomatous mediastinal germ cell tumors (NSMGCT) and hematologic malignancy in younger males not linked to treatment. When combined these two rare entities convey a very poor prognosis. Here we report a 16-year-old male with an anterior mediastinal mass diagnosed as a malignant germ cell tumor based on elevation of serologic markers. He was found to have acute leukemia with megakaryocytic differentiation several days later. We focus our report on the pathologic findings, including a review of the literature, and a novel molecular analysis of the germ cell tumor.

Keywords: Germ cell tumor; Klinefelter syndrome; acute leukemia; cytogenetics; megakaryoblastic leukemia; microarray.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adolescent
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Leukemia / diagnosis
  • Leukemia / pathology*
  • Male
  • Mediastinal Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Mediastinal Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / diagnosis
  • Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / pathology*
  • Testicular Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Testicular Neoplasms / pathology*

Supplementary concepts

  • Nonseminomatous germ cell tumor