Germ cells, the embryonic precursors of sperm or oocytes, respond to molecular cues that regulate their sex-specific development in the fetal gonads. In males in particular, the balance between continued proliferation and cell fate commitment is crucial: defects in proliferation result in insufficient spermatogonial stem cells for fertility, but escape from commitment and prolonged pluripotency...

the aim of this study was to evaluate the role of fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of abdominal and retroperitoneal masses in children on this study. in 53 cases of childhood abdominal and retroperitoneal masses within a 4 year period (1998- 2001) preoperative fine needle aspiration was done under the guide of ct scan. 2 pathologists reviewed fine needle aspiration smears. in al...

. Mediastinal cystic formations are well-shaped, often round that contain fluid and lined with epithelium. The main include congenital benign cysts (bronchogenic, duplicating the esophagus, neuroenteric, pericardial thymic cysts), meningocele, mature teratomas lymphangiomas. Many tumors (e.g., thymomas, Hodgkin's disease, germ cell tumors, mediastinal carcinomas, lymph node metastases, nerve ro...

BACKGROUND Testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) incidence increased steadily in recent decades, but causes remain elusive. Germ cell function may be influenced by cannabinoids, and 2 prior epidemiologic studies reported that the use of marijuana may be associated with nonseminomatous TGCT. Here, the authors evaluate the relation between TGCTs and exposure to marijuana and other recreational drugs ...

Background: Teratomas are the most common ovarian germ cell tumors. Growing teratoma syndrome is a rare condition that entails appearance of extragonadal teratomas during or after chemotherapy treatment non seminomatous