The commonest site for extragonadal germ cell tumor

Reference Robbins page no 475 Extragonadal germ cell tumors form from developing sperm or egg cells that travel from the gonads to other pas of the body. ... These are more common than malignantextragonadal germ cell tumors and often are very large. Malignant extragonadal germ cell tumors are divided into two types, nonseminoma and seminoma In adults, the mediastinum is the most common extragonadal site for the development of germ cell tumors.229-233 The most common tumor in this site is mature teratoma.234 This diagnosis can be suggested by the presence of a large circumscribed anterior mediastinal mass with normal serum HCG and a-fetoprotein. Management of mature teratoma is surgical, and there is no role for chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Although these tumors histologically are benign, removal is often difficult. The tumors are commonly adherent to adjacent structures, such as the pericardium, lung, and great vessels.