Primary Mediastinal Non-seminomatous Germ Cell Tumor Associated with Hemophagocytic Syndrome

Abstract

A 20-year-old man with a primary non-seminomatous mediastinal germ cell tumor (yolk sac tumor and immature teratoma) developed hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) three months after surgical resection. Around the same time, the patient was found to have bone metastases of the germ cell tumor. No other hereditary or acquired diseases related to HPS were found. The thrombocytopenia was refractory to corticosteroid therapy but improved after chemotherapy performed for germ cell tumor progression. Only three cases of germ cell tumor associated with reactive hemophagocytosis have been previously reported. Successful treatment of the present case by chemotherapy for HPS suggests a close relationship between this rare complication and germ cell tumor. 〔J Clin Exp Hematopathol 49(2) : 117-120, 2009〕

Renal cell carcinoma with secondary hemophagocytic syndrome:A case report

“…Etoposide-based regimen has also been rarely reported to be effective in germ cell tumourrelated acquired hemophagocytic syndrome. 9 However, it is crucial that the underlying malignancy is controlled, since pharmacological or surgical tumour control is documented to provide fair pancytopenia reversal.…”

Acquired Hemophagocytic Syndrome: Comment to the Case Report

“…The association between hemophagocytosis and solid tumors is anecdotal and refers almost exclusively to HLH developed in patients with mediastinal germ cell tumors [11], pediatric neuroblastoma and rhabdomyosarcoma, hepatocellular carcinoma [12], metastatic melanoma [13], squamous cell carcinoma of the neck [14], lung cancer [15], renal cell carcinoma [16], prostate cancer [17] and colon cancer [18]. …”