1995 Volume 4 Issue 2 Pages 180-184
This report describes a rare case of pineocytoma with neuronal differentiation in a 68-year-old woman and discusses the clinical, radiographic, and pathological findings in this and other reported cases. T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed a hypointence round tumor in the pineal region and the mass was brightly enhanced after the administration of gadolinium. The lesion was hyperintence on T2-weighted MR images with hypointensity spots. The tumor was successfully removed using an occipital trans-tentorial approach and the postoperative course was uneventful. Histologically, the tumor was composed of isomorphous small cells round to oval-shaped nuclei separated by fibrovascular stroma (lobulated pattern) with rosette-like structures (pineocytomatous rosette). In addition, cells which had large nuclei with prominent nucleoli and Nissl substance within an abundant cytoplasm were observed, Suggesting the neuronal differentiation. Ultrastructually, dense-core vesicles and synapse-1ike structures were easily detected. The histological diagnosis was pineocytoma with neuronal differentiation. Their clinicopathological features and neuroradiological findings of this rare tumor are discussed.
