Primary anterior visual pathway germinoma in a 13-year-old boy: A case report

Abstract

Background: Primary optic nerve and chiasmal germinomas are very rare. These lesions can commonly be mistaken for optic pathway gliomas based on imaging alone. It is radiosensitive and cured in most of the cases. Case Description: We report a rare case of a 13-year-old boy with primary bilateral optic nerves and chiasmal germinoma who underwent partial surgical resection followed by radiotherapy. Follow-up brain imaging after two months post-radiotherapy showed interval regression of the tumor. Our literature review identified that 12 reported cases of primary anterior visual pathway germinoma had been reported to regress significantly post-radiotherapy alone or with chemotherapy. Conclusion: Histologic correlation is essential for appropriate treatment, alleviating symptoms, and avoiding irreversible vision loss.