NeuroradiologyPineocytoma
primary pineal
tumour arising along with
pineoblastoma from neuroepithelial cells of the pineal gland. Compared with pineoblastoma it is composed of more differentiated cells. The two entities may coexist within the same
lesion.
Pineocytoma is more often a tumour of middleaged and older adults. It is a well-defined lesion which generally does not infiltrate the brain. In the pure forms it follows a slow, benign course, but as less differentiated elements coexist it may also become an aggressive malignancy with very poor survival rates.
Pineocytomas are less cellular than pineoblastomas, and show cells with more cytoplasm.
Consequently they display a tendency to a lower density on CT scan images and a higher/lower intensity on T2- and T 2-weighted images that may approach the CSF signal giving to the mass the appearance of a pineal cyst on precontrast images. Contrast enhancement which is intense and homogeneous as in other most common pineal masses confirms the solid nature of the tumour. Calcification is common and even more frequent as compared to pineoblastoma.
FS