| Abstract: |
Germ cell tumours of the nervous system (Box 52.1) are the morphological, immunophenotypic and, in many respects, genetic homologues of germinal neoplasms arising in the gonads and other extragonadal sites.77 There is considerable age-associated, gender-related and geographical variation in the incidence of these uncommon lesions. Germ cell tumours constitute more than half of all fetal/congenital intracranial neoplasms73,85 and 90 per cent come to attention in subjects below 20 years of age, most occurring in the second decade and case rates peaking in 10–14 year olds.9,28,41,51,84 Males are more commonly affected than females across all histological types, with a male/female ratio of 1.5–2: 1 for germinomas climbing to over 3: 1 for non-germinomatous tumours in some series.9,28,54,84 © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. |
