• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.69-77
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• 1983

20 cases of midline pineal tumors and 3 suprasellar germinomas received radiation therapy at Yonsei University Medical College, Severance hospital from 1971 to 1982 were reviewed. 12 cases were pathologically proved; 10 germinomas, 1 pineoblastoma, and 1 pineocytoma. 11 cases received radiotherapy without biopsy confirmation. Although treatment fields varied from small field to whole brain irradiation, but not to the spinal cord, most patients received 4000-5000 rads irradiation to the primary tumor site. 17 patients are alive without evidence of disease and 5 year actuarial NED survival is 73.2%. 9 of 10 biopsy proved germinomas and all 6 presumed germinomas are alive and well. Optimum radiation dose, adequate irradiation field, tumor response to radiation observed in serial CT scan and role of radiation therapy in the management of pineal tumors are also discussed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.sup1
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• pp.170-173
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• 2001

Germinoma associated with chronic granulomatous inflammation of pineal gland has been rarely reported in the literature. The mechanism of chronic granulomatous inflammation is not understood well. We report a case of chronic granulomatous inflammation in pineal germinoma. In a 17 year-old male who suffered from headache and diplopia for six months, the mass of pineal gland was detected by brain MRI and removed through occipital transtentorial approach. The pathological specimen revealed the mass was predominantly composed of chronic granulomatous inflammation associated with small portion of germ cell tumor nests In the pathological interpretation of chronic granulomatous inflammation of pineal mass, it would be obliged to search for the presence of germ cell component.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1245-1249
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• 2001

Germinomas of the central nervous system are rare embryonal tumors(accounting for less than 1% of intracranial neoplasms) that may be located in the pineal region, in the floor of the third ventricle, or in the suprasellar area. We report a case of germinoma developed in periventricular deep white matter without pineal region tumors or suprasellar masses. The 19-year-old male patient presented with slowly progressing headache, dizziness, photophobia, and dysarthria. Initial brain MRI revealed a irregular and dense enhancement from lateral ventricles to 4th ventricle. The stereotactic biopsy of tumor and histologic examination revealed the germinoma. Craniospinal axis radiation therapy was performed. After radiation therapy patient was improved and no neurologic sequelae was seen at discharge. Periventricular germinomas without pineal or suprasellar lesion are very rare. The radiation therapy, as in our case, is beneficial as with other intracranial germinomas. Stereotactic biopsy of periventricular germinoma provides precise pathologic diagnosis and thus allows more specific management.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1224-1228
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• 2001

Germinoma is a rare central nervous system neoplasm in children and young adults. It is well known that a malignant primary neoplasm can be cured by conventional radiation therapy alone or reduced-volume and field irradiation in combination with chemotherapy. The authors report a very rare case of a pineal germinoma, which was completely disappeared after repeated diagnostic brain computed tomography(CT) with review of pertinent literature. There has been neither tumor recurrence nor metastasis during follow-up period.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.744-747
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• 2000

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical features of the epidermoid tumor of posterior fossa and to assess the surgical outcome. Methods : We reviewed the clinicoradiological records of 10 epidermoid tumor of posterior fossa, treated surgically at our hospital between 1991 and 1996. Results : The mean age of onset was 36 years old and mean duration of symptom was 5.2 years. Six were men and four were women. The location of tumors were cerebellopontine angle(CPA) 5 cases, cerebellum(Cbll)& 4th ventricle 3 cases, foramen magnum 1 case, and pineal region extended to Cbll and 4th ventricle 1 case. Common clinical features were trigeminal neuralgia in 3 cases, cerebellar signs 2 case, headache 2 cases, hemifacial spasm with deafness 1 case, cbll signs and multiple cranial nerve dysfunctions 1 case. One CPA epidermoid had no clinical symptom and sign associated with the tumor. The surgical approaches were suboccipital approach in 9 cases and one transcallosal approach to the tumor of pineal region. The extent of surgical removal was gross total resection in 5 cases and near total or subtotal resection in 5. Two patients with CPA tumor were complicated with facial paresis. One patient with tumor located in cerebellum extended into cisterna magna had postoperative vocal cord paresis. All complicated cases had severe adhesion of tumor capsule with brainstem or cranial nerve. The mean duration of follow up was 26 months. The overall outcome was improvement of symptoms and signs in 6 cases and stationary 4 cases. During follow up, imaging study was done in 7 patients and none of them had finding of tumor recurrence. Conclusion : We conclude that recurrence of tumor is rare in both total and subtotal resected cases, but long-term follow-up is required. Aggressive removal of tumor capsule that adhesed to brianstem or cranial nerve is avoided for preventing severe postoperative complication.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.177-182
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• 1988

A retrospective analysis was peformed on 23 patients with pineal region tumors treated with radiation from 1979 through 1985 at the Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Seoul National University Hospital. Histologic confirmation was done in only one case by surgical removal, and in the remaining 22 patients, the diagnosis was based on clinical and radiological findings. The radiation volume was the primary tumor site in 1 case, whole brain in 14 cases, and the whole craniospinal axis En 8 cases. The overall 5 year survival was $71.5\%$. The 5 year survival was $69.3\%$ for whole brain treated group and $73.3\%$ for craniospinal axis treated group. The survival for the two groups did not differ significantly. In two cases sites of recurrence were detected, one in supratentorial area, and the other in the lung. The results from this retrospective analysis and the review of other reports indicate that routine use of prophylactic spinal irradiation is not warranted in pineal region tumor, and the craniospinal irradiation is recommended in cases with high risk for subarachnoid seeding such as positive CSF cytology, surgical removal or biopsy.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.92-100
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• 2000

Purpose :This study was performed to determine the optimal treatment velum of Patients treating with radiation therapy for intracranial germ cell tumor. Materials and Methods : From 1993 to 1998, 19 patients with intracranial germ cell tumors treated by gamma knife radiosurgery were analyzed. The location of tumor was as follows; 9 cases on pineal region, 1 case on suprasellar region, and 9 cases of multiple lesion. 7 patients were pathologically verified; 5 cases of germ cell tumor and 2 cases of non germinomatous germ cell tumor. Tumor volume was ranged from 2.4 cm$^{3}$ to 74 cm$^{3}$. Irradiation dose was 10 Gy to 20 Gy with 50% isodose curve. Follow up period was 10 months to 54 months. Results : Recurrences were observed in 14 cases among 19 (74%) patients. Complete remission and partial remission were achieved in 2 (11%) and 10 (53%) respectively. No response was observed in 7 (36%). 2 cases were recurred within original tumor bed. 6 cases were recurred beyond but contiguous with tumor bed. Ventricular relapses separated from pretreatment tumor bed were 3. Spinal recurrences were 4. Among 8 recurred cases of which tumor volume is smaller than 20 cm$^{3}$, 2 were recurred within original tumor bed, 4 were recurred beyond but contiguous with tumor bed, and 1 spinal recurrence. Meanwhile, 6 cases of which tumor volume larger than 20 cm3, 1 case was recurred beyond but contiguous with tumorbed, 2 ventricular recurrences separated with original tumor bed, and 3 spinal recurrences. 5 cases which did not show any recurrence sign showed characteristics of single lesion, tumor volume smaller than 20 cm$^{3}$ and normal tumor marker. All of 4 cases of spinal recurrences happened in the case having ventricular invasion or lesion. Among 9 cases having multiple lesion, only 3 cases recurred within original tumor bed or around tumor bed, the other 6 cases recurred separated from pretreatment tumor bed. Conclusion : Gamma knife radiosurgery is not recommended for the treatment of intracranial germ cell tumor. It is because of small treatment volume and inadequate radiation dose that are characteristics of gamma knife radiosurgery. Tumor volume, ventricular invasion or ventricular lesion in multiple lesion are important factors to be considered for the wide field radiation therapy Tumor volume smaller than 20 cm$^{3}$, single lesion, no ventricular lesion or invasion, and normal tumor marker are ideal indications for small involved field radiation therapy. Prophylactic spinal irradiation seems to be necessary when there is ventricular lesion, ventricular invasion, and multiple lesions. When the tumor volume is larger than 20 cm$^{3}$, multiple lesions, abnormal tumor marker, and whole ventricular irradiation or partial brain irradiation would be possible and neoadjuvant chemotherapy would be most beneficial in these group.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.100-107
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• 2002

Purpose : The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the treatment results of 30 patients with pineal region tumors who were underwent radiation therapy under the diagnosis by either CT or MRI. There was no histological verification. We analyzed the prognostic factors that have a significant effect on the overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) rates. Materials and Methods : A total 30 patients with pineal region tumors were treated between March 1983 and August 1995. After a trial radiation therapy of $20\~30\;Gy/2\~3$ weeks, the patients were evaluated for their clinical response and radiological response by either CT or MRI and the final treatment direction was then decided. According to their response to the trial radiation therapy and the involved site, radiation treatment was given in various fields i.e., local, ventricle, whole brain and craniospinal field. The radiation dose ranged from 40.8 to 59.4 Gy (Median 50.4 Gy). The median follow up was 36.5 months $(4\~172\;months)$. Results : An improvement or stability in the clinical symptoms was observed in 28 patients $(93.3\%)$ after the trial RT. Nineteen patients $(63.3\%)$ showed a partial or complete response by CT or MRI. The two-year and five-year survival rates of the patients were $66.7\%$ and $55.1\%$, respectively. No significant difference in the survival rates according to the degree of the radiological response was abserved after the trial RT. The results of univariate analysis showed that age, the primary site, the performance status $(KPS\geq70)$, the degree of response after completing RT and the RT field were significant prognostic factors affecting the survival and disease free survival rates (p<0.05). Conclusion : The clinical and histological characteristics of pineal region tumors are quite complex and diverse. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the histological diagnosis and the possibility of radiocurability only with the initial response to RT. We think that the development of less invasive histological diagnostic techniques and tailored treatment to the histological type of each tumor are needed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1381-1387
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• 2001

Objective : Endodermal sinus tumor or yolk sac tumor is an uncommon malignant germ-cell neoplasm. This tumor was originally described as a germ cell tumor of the ovary or the testis. Intracranial endodermal sinus tumor is extremely rare and usually develop in the pineal or suprasellar regions. The authors evaluated the effect of adjuvant therapy(chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy) and radical removal of intracranial endodermal sinus tumors. Material and Methods : Between 1996 and 2001, four patients of intracranial endodermal sinus tumor were diagnosed with tumor marker(AFP) and biopsy. Three patients were treated with surgical removal and chemotherapy with cisplatin($20mg/m^2$), etoposide($100mg/m^2$) and bleomycin($15mg/m^2$) as well as external beam radiation therapy. We compared the management problems for these tumors. Result : In all three patients the tumor size and the level of tumor marker decresed during initial adjuvant therapy. However, Tumors showed regrowth with elevated AFP of serum and CSF possibly related to delayed chemotherapeutic treatment or inadequate administration of chemotherapeutic drugs due to severe bone marrow suppression. An additional chemotherapy and external radiation therapy were given, but tumors could not be controlled with leptomeningeal seeding. Conclusion : Radiotherapy is considered to be less effective. The combination chemotherapy with PVB(cisplatin, vinblastine, bleomycine) or PE(cisplatin, etoposide) is considered to be value in prolongation of the survival rate. But the role of chemotherapy in this tumor has not yet been clarified due to bone marrow suppression and drug resistance. Further study with large series of this tumor is necessary to establish the optimal management.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.287-297
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• 1984

The normal intracranial structures are relatively resistant to therapeutic radiation, but may react adversely in a variety of ways, and the damage to nerve tissue may be slow in making its appearance, and once damage has occured the patient recovers slowly and incompletly. Therefore, it is important to consider the possibility of either recurrent tumor or late adverse effect in any patient who has had radiotherapy. The determination o( rnorphological/pathological correlation is very important to the therapeutic radiologist who uses CT scans to define a treatment volume, as well as to the clinician who wishes to explain the patient's clinical state in terms of regress, progression, persistence, or recurrence of tumor or radiation-induced edema or necrosis, The authors are obtained as following results ; 1. The field size(whole CNS, large, intermediate, small field) was variable according to the location and extension of tumor and histopathologic diagnosis, and the tatal tumor dose was 4,000 to 6,000 rads except one of recurred case of 9,100 rads. The duration of follow up CT scan was from 3 months to 5 year 10 months. 2, The histopathologic diagnosis of 9cases were glioblastoma multiforme(3 cases), pineal tumor (3), oligodendroglioma (1), cystic astrocytoma (1), pituitary adenoma (1) and their adverse effects after radiation therapy were brain atrophy (4 cases) , radiation necrosis(2), tumor recurrence with or without calcification (2), radiation·induced infarction (1). 3. The recurrent symptoms after radiation therapy of brain tumor were not always the results of regrowth of neoplasm, but may represent late change of irradiated brain. 4. It must be need that we always consider the accurate treatment planning and proper treatment method to reduce undesirable late adverse effects in treatment of brain tumors.