Yolk sac tumor in the nasal cavity

Filho, Bernardo Cunha Araujo; McHugh, Jonathan B.; Carrau, Ricardo L.; Kassam, Amin B.

doi:10.1016/j.amjoto.2007.09.001

« Previous Next »American Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Medicine and Surgery
Volume 29, Issue 4 , Pages 250-254, July 2008

Yolk sac tumor in the nasal cavity

Bernardo Cunha Araujo Filho, MD
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Jonathan B. McHugh
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Ricardo L. Carrau, MD
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Corresponding author. Department of Otolaryngology, Eye and Ear Institute, Suite 500, 203 Lothrop Street, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. Tel.: +1 412 647 8186; fax: +1 412 647 2080.
Amin B. Kassam, MD
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Received 17 August 2007 published online 28 March 2008.

Abstract

Yolk sac carcinoma (YST) is rare malignant tumor of germ cell origin. It most commonly arises from the gonads but extragonadal sites of origin are reported in 20% of the cases. Head and neck germ cell tumors are uncommon and only a small number are malignant. We present the case of a 48 years old man presenting with a YST of the sinonasal tract and the arterior skull base. The patient underwent an anterior craniofacial resection and postoperative radiotherapy and continues showing no evidence of disease seven years after treatment. We discuss radiological and histological features of this tumor and provide a review of three other cases of YST arising in children.