title: Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy: its histological similarities to fetal pineal gland.
abstract: Striking similarities between the pineals of 107 fetuses and infants and a pigmented neuroectodermal tumor occurring in the right orbital and right frontal regions in a 6-month-old Puerto Rican boy were found. Both the human fetal pineal and melanotic neuroectodermal tumors of infancy are characterized by pigmented (melanin) epithelial cells, small undifferentiated cells, and a fibrovascular stroma. Our findings suggest the fetal pineal may be a normally occurring precursor of the melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy, or that melanin production may be a normal capability of differentiating neuroepithelial cells.
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009918:Orbital Neoplasms / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008543:Melanins