Rajashree Tripathy1 , Nibedita Sahoo2 , Prateek Das3 , Sujata Naik4 , Anasuya Lenka5
BACKGROUND Germ cell tumours (GCTs) are a heterogenous group of neoplasms, that arises due to variation from normal differentiation of germ cells with remarkable variability in histology and site of presentation. Though GCTs most commonly affect the gonads, variety of extragonadal sites are also involved in small numbers. We wanted to analyse the GCTs with respect to their age, sex, and site with special references to their histopathological subtyping. METHODS This is a combined prospective and retrospective study of 80 cases of GCTs in a tertiary health care institute of eastern zone of India with clinicopathological details, histopathological subtyping. RESULTS Eighty cases of GCTs were diagnosed during the time period of four years among 3055 tumourous specimens received, which accounted for 2.61% of all tumours. Of these GCTs, testicular GCTs accounted for 27.5% (22/80) cases, ovarian for 61.25% (49/80) cases, and 11.25% (9/80) were in extragonadal sites. Most of the ovarian GCT patients were in their 3rd decade, while in testis most patients were in 3rd and 4th decade. Extragonadal tumours were common below 1 yr. (3/9). Mature cystic teratoma was the common histological variant of ovarian GCTs, while seminoma was common in testicular site and mature teratoma at extragonadal sites. Most common extragonadal site was retroperitoneum. Mixed GCTs accounted for 31.83%, 6.14% of the morphological subtypes for testis and ovary respectively, while in extragonadal site no mixed component was noted. CONCLUSIONS Tumour location, extension, stage, level of tumour markers and histopathological subtypes play an important role in clinical management and prognostication of GCTs. Extensive study with proper clinicopathological evaluation, management and follow up status are needed for selection of treatment and to know the biological behaviour of these tumours.
