title: Anatomy of the pineal region applied to its surgical approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pineal region is situated in the posterior part of the incisural space. This region includes the pineal body inside the quadrigeminal arachnoidal cistern. This article reviews the anatomic features of this region, with particular emphasis on those aspects of importance for surgical access to the pineal region.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five cadaver heads fixed in 10% formalin and injected with colored latex were used for anatomic dissection (five other specimens were also prepared and dissected to illustrate the articles on surgical techniques and approaches presented elsewhere in this issue).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pineal body is surrounded by several important structures such as: posterior part of the third ventricle, tectum, the complex of the great cerebral vein of Galen, pulvinar nuclei of the thalamus and splenium of corpus callosum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The surgical approach of the pineal body, whatever the route or the technique used (microsurgical, endoscopic or stereotactic), creates a great challenge for the neurosurgeons due to its location in the deep part of the brain and its close relationships with complex surrounded vascular structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of anatomy, faculté de médecine Lyon EST, université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1, 8, avenue Rockefeller, 69003 Lyon, France; Department of neurosurgery, hôpital P.-Wertheimer, hospices civils de Lyon, 69677 Lyon, France. Electronic address: emile.simon@chu-lyon.fr.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.affiliation: Department of anatomy, faculté de médecine Lyon EST, université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1, 8, avenue Rockefeller, 69003 Lyon, France; Department of neurosurgery, hôpital P.-Wertheimer, hospices civils de Lyon, 69677 Lyon, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Afif
authors.affiliation: Department of anatomy, faculté de médecine Lyon EST, université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1, 8, avenue Rockefeller, 69003 Lyon, France; Department of neurosurgery, hôpital P.-Wertheimer, hospices civils de Lyon, 69677 Lyon, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: M'Baye
authors.affiliation: Department of anatomy, faculté de médecine Lyon EST, université Claude-Bernard Lyon 1, 8, avenue Rockefeller, 69003 Lyon, France; Department of neurosurgery, hôpital P.-Wertheimer, hospices civils de Lyon, 69677 Lyon, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mertens
mesh_terms: D002102:Cadaver; D002550:Cerebral Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000098:blood supply; D013346:Subarachnoid Space / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013788:Thalamus / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery; D020542:Third Ventricle / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Artère choroïdienne postéro-médiale; Citerne quadrigeminale; Epiphysis; Glande pinéale; Grande veine cérébrale; Great cerebral vein; Medial posterior choroid artery; Pineal gland; Pineal region; Quadrigeminal cistern; Région pinéale; Épiphyse