title: Common molecularcytogenetic alterations in tumors originating from the pineal region.
abstract: Tumors of the pineal region (PR) are rare and can be subdivided into four main histomorphological groups: Pineal-parenchymal tumors (PPT), germ cell tumors (GCT), glial tumors and miscellaneous tumors. The appropriate pathological classification and grading of these malignancies is essential for determining the clinical management and prognosis. However, an early diagnosis is often delayed due to unspecific clinical symptoms, and histological support is not always decisive to identify the diversity of tumors of the PR. The present study aimed to characterize 18 tumors of the PR using comparative genomic hybridization. All the tumors were primarily surgically resected without any previous irradiation or chemotherapy. In addition to chromosomal aberrations in PPT and different GCTs of the PR, the present study described, for the first time, the chromosomal changes in a few rare entities (solitary-fibrous and neuroendocrine tumors) of the PR. The tumors in the study, regardless of histology and World Health Organization grade, were characterized by frequent gains at 7, 9q, 12q, 16p, 17 and 22q, and losses at 13q. While the detection of chromosomal aberrations in these tumors appears not to be indicative enough of histological entities and their grade of malignancy, the present data may be of use to select genes of interest for higher resolution genomic analyses.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen D-37075, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Böhrnsen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen D-37075, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Enders
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen D-37075, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Christoph
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ludwig
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuropathology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen D-37075, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brück
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen D-37075, Germany.
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Füzesi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen D-37075, Germany ; Department of Neurosurgery, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz D-76726, Germany.
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gutenberg
keywords: chromosomal copy number aberrations; comparative genomic hybridization; germ cell; pineal region tumors; pineoblastoma; pineocytoma