CASE REPORT

Pineal yolk sac tumour with a solid pattern: a case report in a Chinese adult man with Down’s syndrome

H W Tan¹, A Ty², S G N Goh¹, M C Wong², A Hong³, K L Chuah¹

¹ Department of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore 169608, Singapore
² Department of Neurology, National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore General Hospital Campus
³ Department of Neurosurgery, National Neuroscience Institute

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr K Leong Chuah
Department of Pathology, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore 169608, Singapore; gzzckl{at}singnet.com.sg

Intracranial germ cell tumours are rare. The incidence of primary intracranial yolk sac tumour is even more uncommon, with only two reported cases being associated with Down’s syndrome in the English literature. This report details the findings of yolk sac tumour in the pineal region affecting a 22 year old Chinese man with Down’s syndrome. Histology revealed yolk sac tumour with only a solid pattern, potentially mimicking the more common germinoma in the pineal region. No other germ cell components were identified. This is the third report of intracranial yolk sac tumour manifesting in a patient with trisomy 21. The pathology of this tumour and its differential diagnoses are discussed.

Abbreviations: FP, fetoprotein; AAT, 1antitrypsin; ßhCG, ßhuman chorionic gonadotrophin; DS, Down’s syndrome; PLAP, placenta-like alkaline phosphatase; YST, yolk sac tumour

Keywords: yolk sac tumour; pineal; diagnosis; Down’s syndrome

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