Extragonadal mixed germ cell tumour of the face: Report of a rare case and review of literature

Abstract

Introduction: Germ cell tumours are a heterogenous group of tumours that could be either benign or malignant, and they primarily present as gonadal tumours. Extragonadal germ cell tumours (EGCT) are rare and represent 1-5% of all germ cell tumours and they arise in anatomical locations other than the gonads. Extragonadal germ cell tumours broadly include seminomatous and non-seminomatous tumours, with different morphologies which include mature cystic teratoma, immature teratoma, seminoma, yolk sac tumour, embryonal carcinoma, choriocarcinoma and mixed germ cell tumour. Extragonadal germ cell tumours mostly affect children and young adults, usually involve the structures along the midline of the body and are more common in males. Head and neck region is an uncommon primary site for EGCT with most tumours being benign and teratoma being the main histologic type. The exact aetiology is unknown and it has a poor prognosis compared with its gonadal counterparts.

Case: We report a case of a 3-year old girl who presented to a peripheral private facility with a right facial swelling. She had incisional biopsy done which was uneventful. The tissue was processed in our histopathology laboratory and a diagnosis of extragonadal mixed germ cell tumour was made.

Conclusion: Extragonadal mixed germ cell tumours of the head and neck are rare and accurate histological diagnosis is essential for correct management of the patient.