title: Histopathology of tumors of the pineal region.
abstract: Pineal region tumors are heterogeneous lesions and include mainly pineal parenchymal tumors (PPTs), papillary tumors of the pineal region (PTPRs) and germ cell tumors (GCTs). This article describes the cystic pineal gland compared with normal tissue and histopathological features of the most frequent pineal region tumors. PPTs are subdivided into pineocytoma (grade I), pineoblastoma (grade IV) and tumors with intermediate differentiation (PPTIDs; grades II-III). A grading system based on the number of mitoses and neurofilament protein expression distinguishes low- from high-grade PPTID. PTPR is a new tumoral entity thought to originate from the subcommissural organ. GCTs include germinoma, embryonal carcinoma, teratoma, yolk sac tumor and choriocarcinoma and are often of mixed histologic composition. New histogenetic data for GCTs are presented.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health & Medical Research (INSERM) U842, University of Lyon, Faculty of Medicine, RTH Laennec, Lyon Cedex 08, France. michelle.montange@inserm.fr
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fèvre-Montange
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vasiljevic
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Champier
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jouvet
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000473:pathology*; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D010871:Pinealoma / Q000473:pathology*