~Multidisciplinary expertise enables successful removal of a rare, high-risk tumor despite minimal early symptoms~
Chennai, April 29, 2026: What began as seemingly routine, recurrent chest infections in a 10-year-old schoolboy turned into a life-threatening diagnosis, highlighting how silent and easily overlooked certain pediatric conditions can be. Delayed recognition of underlying symptoms allowed a rare 900g mediastinal germ cell tumor to grow undetected, occupying a significant portion of the child’s chest. However, timely intervention and advanced multidisciplinary care at Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Chennai, led to the successful diagnosis and complete removal of the tumor, giving the child a new lease on life.
The child initially presented with recurrent respiratory infections. At Rainbow Children’s Hospital, a multidisciplinary team of specialists assembled for further evaluation. An ultrasound (USG)-guided core needle biopsy revealed a mediastinal germ cell tumour, with extremely elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels of 2,68,000 (normal <10), strongly indicating malignancy. The child underwent five cycles of chemotherapy over a period of three months, administered once every three weeks, as part of standard treatment to reduce the tumor burden. Despite this, the tumor continued to occupy more than 75% of the chest cavity, necessitating definitive surgical management. Given its critical location, surrounded by the heart and major blood vessels, both conventional and minimally invasive surgical approaches were considered high risk.
Speaking on the case, Dr. Dhinesh Balaji J D, Consultant – Pediatric Surgeon & Pediatric Urologist, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Chennai, said, “In a complex surgical intervention, the team performed an open chest surgery via sternotomy, an approach typically used in cardiac procedures to safely access and remove the centrally located tumor. This enabled better visualization and protection of vital blood vessels, ensuring complete removal without the risk of tumor spillage. The tumor, weighing almost 1kg (approximately 850–900 grams), was successfully excised. Post-surgery, the child required ventilator support for just 24 hours, resumed oral intake the next day, and was discharged within four days. A follow-up scan conducted 6–8 weeks later confirmed no residual tumor.”
Dr. Nandhini G, Senior Consultant – Pediatric Surgeon & Pediatric Urologist, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Chennai, added, “Managing such a case requires seamless collaboration across specialties. Our team brought together expertise in pediatric surgery, oncology, critical care, and anesthesia to ensure the best possible care. It is immensely gratifying to see the child recover well and return to normal life, and to witness the relief and happiness of the family.”
Mr. Gunasekhar C, Cluster Head, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Chennai, said, “At Rainbow Children’s Hospital, our focus is on early diagnosis and delivering the right treatment at the right time. This case reflects our commitment to combining advanced medical expertise with a child-centric approach. Seeing the child recover fully and become tumor-free is a testament to the strength of our multidisciplinary care model.”
Mediastinal germ cell tumors are rare and often develop silently, as germ cells present during early development can occasionally be misplaced outside the reproductive organs and grow abnormally over time. Though uncommon, such tumors can become life-threatening if not detected early. Doctors emphasize that persistent chest infections or unexplained breathing difficulties in children should not be ignored, and timely evaluation can be critical in preventing complications.
The multidisciplinary team of specialists comprised Dr. Dhinesh Balaji J D, Consultant – Pediatric Surgeon & Pediatric Urologist; Dr. Nandhini G, Senior Consultant – Pediatric Surgeon & Pediatric Urologist; Dr. Senthil Ganesh K, Consultant – Pediatric Surgeon & Urologist; Dr. Karthik Narayanan R, Senior Consultant – General Pediatrics, PICU & Emergency; and Dr. Sathish Chander, Lead Consultant Anesthesiologist, all of whom played a key role in the successful completion of this remarkable surgery
About Rainbow Children’s Medicare Limited: Rainbow Children’s Medicare Limited network comprises 23 hospitals and 5 clinics in 9 cities, with a total bed capacity of 2385 beds. Our Pediatric services operating under the brand “Rainbow Children’s Hospital” includes new-born and pediatric intensive care, pediatric multi-specialty services, pediatric quaternary care (including organ transplantation); whereas our women care services under “Birthright by Rainbow” offers perinatal care services which includes normal and complex obstetric care, multi-disciplinary foetal care, perinatal genetic and fertility care along with gynecology services.
Rainbow Children’s Hospital built on strong fundamentals of a multidisciplinary approach with a full-time consultant-led clinical service along with 24/7 commitment in a child centric environment. The company follows a hub-and-spoke operating model where the hub hospital provides comprehensive outpatient, inpatient care, with a focus on tertiary and quaternary services, while the spokes provide 24/7 emergency care, large outpatient services and comprehensive obstetrics, pediatric inpatient and level 3 NICU services. This model is successfully operational at Hyderabad and is gaining traction in Bengaluru. The endeavor is to replicate this approach in Chennai and across the National Capital Region. Subsequently Rainbow intends to expand into tier-2 cities of Southern India.
Rainbow Children’s Hospital embraces a unique doctor engagement model, where doctors work exclusively on a full-time. The doctors work in teams and have 24/7 commitment, which is particularly important for children’s emergency, neonatal, pediatric intensive care services and to support pediatric retrieval services. The Company also operates the country’s largest pediatric DNB training programme in private healthcare, offering post graduate residential DNB and fellowship programmes.
