Pineal tumors

Abstract

The term pineal area refers either to the pineal gland, which is situated in the deep part of the brain, or to the pineal region, which includes the gland itself and its surrounding structures. Pineal tumors represent 3-8% of intracranial tumors in children and 0.4-1% of brain tumors in adults [1]. In Asia the pineal tumors are most often found among the pediatric population where the incidence is about 10-12.5% [2]. Although CT and MRI characteristics of pineal tumors are nonspecific, the localization of a tumor in the pineal region allows one to choose the most appropriate therapeutic method. In this chapter we will deal with the germ cell and the pineal cell tumors, which represent the vast majority of the pineal gland tumors. © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.