GERMINOMA CAUSING WALLERIAN DEGENERATION - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Germinomas occurring in the thalamus and basal ganglia sometimes cause atrophy of the cerebral hemisphere an the affected side. The authors present the ease of a 12-year-old girl with a germinoma that developed in the basal frontal lobe and cerebral basal ganglia. Magnetic resona nce imaging showed atrophy not only of the cerebrum but also of the br ainstem. A T-2-weighted image revealed an area of high intensity that proved to be wallerian degeneration extending from the corona radiata and internal capsule to the brainstem. The authors suggest that this p athological change may be involved in the development of the symptoms and hemiatrophy associated with germinomas in this region of the brain .