Abstract

Germ cell tumors are rare lesions affecting fetal, childhood and adolescence periods, with varied clinical presentation depending on the location. In children, the extragonadal site predominates different from the adults. Sacrococcygeal, abdominal and retroperitoneal tumors can achieve a larger size prior to the onset of symptoms, with a rate of metastases over 50%. The vaginal lesions are diagnosed earlier with bleeding, with rare metastases. The histology of germ cell tumors differ with the age and the site. Yolk sac histology predominates in younger children among the extragonadal sites. Mediastinal tumors are more common in older children, with varied histology including germinoma, choriocarcinoma and mixed tumors. With the onset of effective chemotherapy including cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin, the low survival rates of the past experience improved significantly. In advanced cases, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery is indicated, to follow organ preservation rule with the decrease in the tumor size.