A rare case of primary mediastinal yolk sac tumor

Abstract

Yolk sac tumor (endodermal sinus tumor) is a subtype of germ cell tumor and a highly malignant neoplasm. In addition to presenting in ovaries and testes, the tumor has been detected at several extragonadal sites, including the presacral area, the anterior mediastinum, face, uvula, and the pineal gland. Primary yolk sac tumor of the anterior mediastinum is rare and carries a grave prognosis, affecting mainly young men. Patients often present with advanced, bulky tumors that are unresectable. We present a 16-years-old young male patient with primary yolk sac tumor of mediastinum.

Keywords

• Alpha-fetoprotein
• endodermal sinus tumor
• mediastinum
• primary yolk sac tumor