Suprasellar germinoma occurring two years after total removal of pineal teratoma.

A rare case of a suprasellar germinoma occurring 2 years after total removal of a pineal benign teratoma is presented. The suprasellar germinoma was not considered a recurrence or dissemination from the pineal tumor, but to have been transformed from germ cells present in the suprasellar region. Although it is controversial whether radiation treatment should be given to a patient with a totally removed benign teratoma, careful follow-up computed tomography scans are indispensable for detecting a possible occurrence of other germ cell tumors.