Malignant Mixed Germ Cell Tumour of the Ovary in a 10-year-old Girl
KKM Kwok, TKL Loke, JPK Hui, MHY Lai, JCS Chan
Hong Kong J Radiol 2008;11:92-5
Ovarian neoplasm is relatively rare in the paediatric population compared with adults, but it is occasionally found in older children and adolescents presenting with abdominal distension. Germ cell tumours are the most common type of malignant ovarian neoplasms in children and adolescents. These tumours expand locally and metastasise through vascular and lymphatic invasion. Imaging is important in the initial diagnosis to assess the extent of the disease. This report describes a girl with malignant mixed germ cell tumour of the right ovary, who presented with abdominal swelling for 1 month. The preoperative radiological diagnosis was a metastatic germ cell tumour. Only partial debulking of the tumour was performed due to its extensiveness. The subsequent histological result was compatible with a mixed germ cell tumour, with components of yolk sac tumour and immature teratoma. Despite early postoperative chemotherapy, the patient developed multiple tumour-related complications and died soon after surgery. This report illustrates the aggressiveness of this tumour and emphasises the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.