Pineoblastomas in Pediatric Patients: A Single Institutional Experience

Abstract

Pineoblastomas are rare, malignant pineal parenchymal tumors encountered predominantly in pediatric patients. They are distinct from primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) at other sites in that they exhibit photosensory differentiation including Flexner–Wintersteiner rosettes and fleu-rettes. Diagnosis can be challenging since they share morphologic and immunohistochemical fea-tures with other embryonal tumors and the developing pineal gland. Pineal anlage tumor is a rare variant of pineoblastoma defined by divergent neuroepithelial and ectomesenchymal differentia-tion without an endodermal component. To date the five published cases of anlage tumors be-haved aggressively. We describe a case series which includes one patient with pineal anlage tu-mor and the clinical, radiological and pathological characteristics of pediatric pineoblastomas.