Yolk sac tumors (or endodermal sinus tumors) are rare neoplasms of germ cell origin that have been reported in gonadal sites (testis and ovary). Extragonadal yolk sac tumors are uncommonly seen, and in particular, they are rare in the extracranial head and neck regions; we found 27 well-documented cases in the English-language literature. We discuss their clinical and pathologic features.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
DehnerLP. Gonadal and extragonadal germ cell neoplasia of childhood. Hum Pathol1983; 14: 493–511.
2.
GrosfeldJLBallantineTVNLoweDBaeherRL. Benign and malignant teratomas in children: analysis of 85 patients. Surgery1976; 80: 297–305.
3.
FerlitoADevaneyKO. Developmental lesions of the head and neck: terminology and biologic behavior. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol1995; 104: 913–8.
4.
LackEE. Extragonadal germ cell tumors of the head and neck region: review of 16 cases. Hum Pathol1985; 16: 56–64.
5.
TeilumG. Endodermal sinus tumors of the ovary and testis: comparative morphogenesis of the so-called mesonephroma ovarii (Schiller) and extraembryonic (yolk sac-allantoic) structures of the rat's placenta. Cancer1959; 12: 1092–105.
6.
O'SullivanPDanemanAChanSL. Extragonadal endodermal sinus tumors in children: a review of 24 cases. Pediatr Radiol1983; 13: 249–57.
7.
AppignaniBAJonesKMBarnesPD. Primary endodermal sinus tumor of the orbit: MR findings. AJR Am J Roentgenol1992; 159: 399–401.
8.
ByardRWSmithCRChanHSL. Endodermal sinus tumor of the nasopharynx and previous mature congenital teratoma. Pediatr Pathol1991; 11: 297–302.
9.
DehnerLPMillsATalermanABillmanGFKrousHFPlatzCE. Germ cell neoplasms of head and neck soft tissues: a pathologic spectrum of teratomatous and endodermal sinus tumors. Hum Pathol1990; 21: 309–18.
10.
KatzNNKRuymannFBMargoCEPopejoyLALa PianaFG. Endodermal sinus tumor (yolk-sac carcinoma) of the orbit. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus1982; 19: 270–4.
11.
ManivelCWickMRDehnerLP. Transitional (cylindric) cell carcinoma with endodermal sinus tumor-like features of the nasopharynx and paranasal sinuses. Arch Pathol Lab Med1986; 110: 198–202.
12.
MargoCEFolbergRZimmermanLESesterhennLA. Endodermal sinus tumor (yolk sac tumor) of the orbit. Ophthalmology1983; 90: 1426–32.
13.
ShebibSSabbahRSSackeyKAkhtarMAurRJA. Endodermal sinus (yolk sac) tumor in infants and children — a clinical and pathologic study: an 11 year review. Am J Pediatr Hematol Oncol1989; 11: 36–9.
14.
StanleyRJScheithauerBWThompsonEIKispertDBWeilandLHPearsonBW. Endodermal sinus tumor (yolk sac tumor) of the ear. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg1987; 113: 200–3.
15.
StephensonJAMaylandDMKunLEEtcubanasEThompsonEIGrossCW. Malignant germ cell tumors of the head and neck in childhood. Laryngoscope1989; 99: 732–5.
16.
SungurAOzbayGDoganAOzyilmazFAtamanM. An endodermal sinus tumor of the head and neck region. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol1993; 26: 177–80.
17.
VivaEZorziFAnnibaleGStefiniSBaronchelliCBonettiMF. Endodermal sinus (yolk sac) tumor of the parotid gland: a case report. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol1992; 24: 269–74.
18.
WeedonDMusgraveJ. Endodermal sinus tumour of the face. Pathology1974; 6: 365–9.
19.
KebudiRAyanIDarendelilerE. Non-midline endodermal sinus tumor in the head and neck region: a case report. Med Pediatr Oncol1993; 21: 685–9.
20.
FonsecaIMartinsAGSoaresJ. Submandibular endodermal sinus (yolk sac) tumor in a female infant. A case report. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg1991; 20: 46–7.
21.
MichaelHUlbrightTMBrodheckerCA. The pluripotential nature of the mesenchyme-like component of yolk sac tumor. Arch Pathol Lab Med1989; 113: 1115–9.
22.
TalermanA. Germ cell tumors of the ovary. In: KurmanR, ed. Blaustein's Pathology of the female genital tract. 4th ed. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag, 1994: 849–914.
23.
KawaiMKanoTFuruhashiY. Prognostic factors in yolk sac tumors of the ovary—a clinicopathologic analysis of 29 cases. Cancer1991; 67: 184–92.
24.
SasakiHFurusatoMTeshimaS. Prognostic significance of histopathological subtypes in stage I pure yolk sac tumour of the ovary. Br J Cancer1994; 69: 529–36.
25.
NiehansGAManivelJCCoplandGTScheithauerBWWickMR. Immunohistochemistry of germ cell and trophoblastic neoplasms. Cancer1988; 62: 1113–23.
26.
Gonzalez-CrussiFRothLM. The human yolk sac and yolk sac carcinoma—an ultrastructural study. Hum Pathol1976; 7: 675–91.
27.
Nogales-FemandezFSilverbergSGBlousteinPAMartinez-HernandezAPierceGB. Yolk sac carcinoma (endodermal sinus tumor) — ultrastructure and histogenesis of gonadal and extragonadal tumors in comparison with normal human yolk sac. Cancer1977; 39: 1462–74.
28.
BartlettNLFreihaFSTortiFM. Serum markers in germ cell neoplasms. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am1991; 5: 1245–60.
29.
PerlmanEJCushingBHawkinsEGriffinCA. Cytogenetic analysis of childhood endodermal sinus tumors: a pediatric oncology group study. Pediatr Pathol Lab Med1994; 14: 695–708.