title: Microsurgical resection of pineal region tumors.
abstract: The extensive variety of possible histologic subtypes makes it imperative to establish a tissue diagnosis in patients with pineal region tumors. Management decisions regarding adjuvant therapy, prognosis, and follow-up strategies vary with the histologic diagnosis. Specialized surgical and stereotactic techniques have evolved to provide the neurosurgeon with an array of safe and effective options for obtaining a tissue diagnosis. Advanced microsurgical techniques combined with improved preoperative management and postoperative critical care methods have made aggressive surgical resection a mainstay of management. Aggressive surgical resection has resulted in excellent long-term prognoses for nearly all patients with benign tumors and a large percentage of patients with malignant tumors. However, pineal region surgery remains fraught with potential pitfalls, and these favorable results are dependent on an advanced level of surgical expertise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Adam M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sonabend
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. jnb2@cumc.columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bruce
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008866:Microsurgery; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D010871:Pinealoma / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Microsurgery; Occipital-transtentorial approach; Operative technique; Pineal region tumor; Supracerebellar-infratentorial approach; Transcallosal-interhemispheric approach