CNS & pituitary tumors
Cysts
Pineal cyst
Author: Eman Abdelzaher, M.D., Ph.D.
Last author update: 1 February 2012
Last staff update: 22 February 2021
Copyright: 2002-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: "Pineal cyst"
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Radiology description | Case reports | Gross description | Gross images | Microscopic (histologic) description | Cytology description | Differential diagnosisCite this page: Abdelzaher E. Pineal cyst. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/cnstumorpinealcyst.html. Accessed December 2nd, 2024.
Definition / general
- Glial cyst within the pineal gland
- Present in 2 - 3% of adults
- May resemble a cystic tumor
- Usually incidental finding, affect all age groups
- Minority of cases, usually in young adults, are large enough to compress aqueduct and cause symptoms
- Fine needle aspiration may provide rapid diagnosis (Cancer 2005;105:80)
Radiology description
- Midline, well circumscribed, 1 - 3 cm
Case reports
- 22 year old man with sudden death (J Clin Path 1996;49:267)
Gross description
- Smooth external surface and inner lining
Gross images
Images hosted on other servers:
Pineal cyst
Microscopic (histologic) description
Three layered cyst:
- Inner lining is glial tissue which is hypocellular, highly fibrillated with many Rosenthal fibers; hemosiderin is common
- Glial layer is surrounded by compressed, often calcified, pineal parenchyma
- Outer layer is leptomeningeal connective tissue (Ann Diagn Path 1997;1:11)
Cytology description
- Small, uniform polygonal cells
Differential diagnosis
- Other cysts
- Pilocytic astrocytoma
- Pineocytoma
