Pineoblastoma with Neuronal Differentiation: A case report

ABSTRACT

A case of pineoblastoma in a 28-year-old male is reported. A computerized tomography showed hydrocephalus and a mass in the pineal region. Histologically, the tumor is composed of regular, patternless aggregates of small round undifferentiated cells, resembling medulloblastoma-retinoblastoma group. Immunohistochemical reactivity of the neoplastic cells for neuron specific enolase and synaptophysin demonstrates neuronal differentiation. The patient underwent partial resection of the mass followed by radiotherapy. The patient had no cerebrospinal dissemination at 8 month follow-up. The pineoblastoma is a highly malignant neoplasm, one of the class of primitive neuroectodermnal tumors. The tumor is a very rare pineal parenchymal meoplasms, representing an incidence of less than 0.1% of intracranial tumors. This is the first case of pineoblastoma reported in Korea. In this report the divergent differentiation of the tumor is discussed, along with review of literatures.