title: Magnetic resonance imaging based morphologic evaluation of the pineal gland for suspected pineoblastoma in retinoblastoma patients and age-matched controls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the morphologic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of the pineal gland in retinoblastoma (Rb) patients without and with pineoblastoma in comparison to age-matched controls to improve early identification of pineoblastomas (trilateral retinoblastoma, TRb).
  
  
  METHODS
  80 patients with retinoblastoma and 80 age-matched controls who had undergone brain MRI were included in this retrospective institutional review board approved cohort study. Two readers analyzed the following MR characteristics of the pineal gland: signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted images, enhancement pattern, delineation of the gland, presence of cystic component, size of pineal gland and size of pineal cysts, respectively. A third reader assessed all images for the presence or absence of pineoblastoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  3 patients were positive (TRb cohort) and 77 negative for pineoblastoma (non-TRb cohort). The mean maximum diameter of the pineal gland was 6.4mm in Rb patients and 6.3mm in age-matched controls. The mean volume of the pineal gland in Rb patients was 93.1mm(3) and was 87.6mm(3) in age-matched controls. Considering all available MRI scans the mean maximum diameter of the pineal gland in TRb patients was 11.2mm and the mean volume in TRb patients was 453.3mm(3). The third reader identified pineoblastomas with a sensitivity of 100% (3 of 3) and a specificity of 94% (72 of 77).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our non-TRb patients did not show significant differences in the size of the pineal gland and pineal gland cysts compared to age-matched controls. The presented data can serve as a reference for the volume of normal pineal glands and pineal cysts in the diagnostic work-up of Rb patients with suspected pineoblastoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Thi Thai Hien
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Siebert
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: patrick.asbach@charite.de.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Asbach
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, DRK Kliniken Westend, Spandauer Damm 130, 14050 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Willerding
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Erb-Eigner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D010871:Pinealoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D019572:Retinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: MR imaging; Pineal cyst; Pineoblastoma; Retinoblastoma; Trilateral retinoblastoma