Tumors of the pineal region

Abstract

The term pineal region tumors includes both the neoplasms originating from the pineal body and those originating from the adjacent anatomical structures, such as the thalamus, the dorsal midbrain, and the fal-cotentorium. The term pineal tumors indicates the former. Glial tumors originating from the tectum and meningiomas originating from the falcotentorial junction are not a true pineal tumor. Primary pineal tumors are mainly composed of two categories of brain neoplasms, pineal parenchymal tumors and germ cell tumors (Table 14.1). © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.