Primary choriocarcinoma of the bilateral basal ganglia presenting in a teenaged male

Primary intracranial choriocarcinoma (PICCC), a type of germ-cell tumor, is a very rare primary tumor of the central nervous system that generally arises in the pineal or suprasellar region. We present a case of a teenage boy with PICCC of the bilateral basal ganglia, an anatomic site for which we were unable to find the previous reports. We offer discussion of the differential diagnosis, imaging characteristics, and prognosis of PICCC and germ-cell tumors of the basal ganglia, in the hope that it will increase awareness and allow for early detection.