Symptomatic pineal cyst: case report and review of the literature

Pineal cysts without hydrocephalus: microsurgical resection via an infratentorial-supracerebellar approach-surgical strategies, complications, and their avoidance

Indications for surgery of pineal cysts without ventriculomegaly are still under debate. In view of the limited data for pineal cyst resection in the absence of hydrocephalus, and the potential risk of this approach, we have analyzed our patient cohort focusing on strategies to avoid complications according to our experience in a series of 73 pineal cyst patients. From 2003 to 2015, we reviewed our database retrospectively for all patients operated on a pineal cyst. Furthermore, we prospectively collected patients from 2016 to 2020. In summary, 73 patients with a pineal cyst were treated surgically between 2003 and 2020. All patients were operated on via a microscopic supracerebellar-infratentorial (SCIT) approach. The mean follow-up period was 26.6 months (range: 6-139 months). Seventy-three patients underwent surgery for a pineal cyst. An absence of enlarged ventricles was documented in 62 patients (51 female, 11 male, mean age 28.1 (range 4-59) years). Main presenting symptoms included headache, visual disturbances, dizziness/vertigo, nausea/emesis, and sleep disturbances. Complete cyst resection was achieved in 59/62 patients. Fifty-five of 62 (89%) patients improved after surgery with good or even excellent results according to the Chicago Chiari Outcome Scale, with complete or partial resolution of the leading symptoms. Pineal cysts resection might be an indication in certain patients for surgery even in the absence of ventriculomegaly. The high percentage of postoperative resolution of quality-of-life impairing symptoms in our series seems to justify surgery. Preoperatively, other causes of the leading symptoms have to be excluded.

Simultaneous single-trajectory endoscopic biopsy and third ventriculostomy in pediatric pineal region tumors

Pineal region tumors have different pathological tumors and their optimal management remains controversial. Advancements in neuroendoscopy have led to the ability to simultaneously treat the hydrocephalus and obtain a tissue diagnosis. A retrospective review of 34 patients with pineal region tumors in Beijing Tiantan hospital from the year 2016 to 2018 was undertaken. A single bur hole for both procedures was used successfully in all patients. Once pathologic diagnosis is made, the subsequent management of different tumors is dependent on response to therapy, the tumor markers and original pathology. Follow-up period was 4-26 months. All 34 cases presented with hydrocephalus and increased intracranial pressure manifestations. Elevated blood tumor markers were found in seven cases. The neuroendoscopic biopsy was diagnostic in 32 samples (94.1%) and nondiagnostic (gliosis) in two patients. 21 cases were germinomas, five cases were tectal astrocytomas, two cases were pineoblastomas, two cases were non-germinomatous germ-cell tumours (NG-GCTs) and 1 case immature teratoma and glioblastoma respectively. During the follow-up period, all germinomas but one case with elevated blood α-fetoprotein received craniotomy with a final diagnosis of NG-GCT received radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Four tectal astocytomas, two pineoblastomas and two NG-GCTs received subsequent open surgery due to progressive development, the pathological data was concordant with the initial endoscopic biopsy sample. An additional VP shunt was inserted in one tectal astrocytoma who have hydrocephalus after craniotomy. Except for 18 cases of transient fever and a case with intratumoral hemorrhage, there was no other significant complications, cognitive disorder and no death. The simultaneous single-trajectory endoscopic technique permits not only to control hydrocephalus but also to obtain histological diagnosis with a low incidence of complication and higher safety. Providing meaningful pathological data, endoscopic biopsies could lead to an appropriate management decision. Especially, it is favored as an early step in the management of patients with marker-negative tumors.

Neuroimaging in emergency: a review of possible role of pineal gland disease

The pineal gland can be involved in a variety of neoplastic and congenital masses and tumors. Pineal gland neoplasms occur more frequently in children, accounting for 3-8% of intracranial tumors in the pediatric population. Pineal cysts are small lesions usually asymptomatic and encountered incidentally. Pathologic processes involving the pineal region produce signs and symptoms related to the mass effect on the adjacent structures and invasion of surrounding structures. These include several acute symptoms, such as increased intracranial pressure syndrome from obstruction of the aqueduct and consequent hydrocephalus, and Parinaud syndrome. Pineal apoplexy is rare and refers to the sudden neurological deterioration following hemorrhage in the pineal gland, most commonly into a pineal cyst. Knowledge of the clinical presentation and imaging features of these lesions is essential to narrow the differential diagnosis, especially when presenting with acute onset.

[Pineal cyst]

A pineal cyst (PC) is a benign neoplasm in the pineal region, or more precisely in the pineal body. Most cysts are incidental findings and are not associated with symptoms typical of patients seeking medical advice. Symptomatic cysts are discovered less often and, depending on the clinical picture, require different treatment approaches.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We analyzed the literature data about the clinical picture, diagnosis, and treatment of PCs for more than a century (1914-2016).

CONCLUSION

To date, there is no single approach for managing PC patients. The indications for surgical treatment of symptomatic PCs are still not fully defined. It remains unclear which PC cases should be followed-up, and how often control examinations should be performed. More research of PCs is needed to develop new approaches to treatment of PC patients.

Incidental Pineal Cysts: Is Surveillance Necessary?

OBJECTIVE

The natural history of incidental pineal cysts is poorly understood. Neurosurgeons and neuroradiologists are more frequently faced with this disease in the advent of higher-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning. We aim to suggest a suitable surveillance strategy for these patients.

METHODS

All patients who had MRI of the brain between June 2007 and January 2014 (n = 42,099) at The Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery were included. Radiologic reports containing the terms "pineal" and "cyst" were reviewed to identify patients.

RESULTS

A total of 281 patients were identified with pineal cysts. The principal indication for head MRI was headache (50.2%), although no symptoms were deemed attributable to pineal disease. A total of 178 patients (63.3%) were female, and the age at diagnosis ranged from 16 to 84 years. The median size of pineal cyst at diagnosis was 10 mm. A total of 181 patients had subsequent follow-up at a median time of 6 months (range, 1-68). Eleven pineal cysts (6%) changed size during the follow-up period. Four patients had a reduction in cyst size; the median change was 2.5 mm. A further 7 pineal cysts increased in cyst size; the median change was 2 mm. No patients developed complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Incidental pineal cysts typically show a benign course. In the adult population, they do not require long-term neurosurgical follow-up, because pineal cysts tend to remain a stable size. In asymptomatic patients, we recommend a single follow-up MRI scan at 12 months to confirm diagnosis. The patient should then be discharged if the cyst remains stable.

Pineal cyst resection in the absence of ventriculomegaly or Parinaud's syndrome: clinical outcomes and implications for patient selection

OBJECT

Surgical indications for patients with pineal cysts are controversial. While the majority of patients harboring a pineal cyst require no treatment, surgery is a well-accepted option for a subset of those patients with secondary hydrocephalus or Parinaud's syndrome. The majority of pineal cysts are identified incidentally during workup for other potential conditions, which may or may not be related to the presence of the cyst. In the absence of clear obstruction of CSF pathways, the treatment of presumed symptomatic pineal cysts is debatable. To clarify the role of surgery in these borderline cases, the authors reviewed their experience with resection of pineal cysts in the absence of ventriculomegaly or Parinaud's syndrome.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed medical records and imaging of all patients surgically treated between 2001 and 2014 with a pineal cyst in the absence of ventriculomegaly and Parinaud's syndrome. The presenting symptoms, preoperative cyst size, preoperative radiographic aqueductal compression, extent of resection, and radiographic and clinical follow-up were documented.

RESULTS

Eighteen patients (14 female and 4 male; mean age 24 years, range 4–47 years) underwent cyst resection in the absence of ventriculomegaly or Parinaud's syndrome. Presenting symptoms included headache (17 patients), visual disturbances (10 patients), gait instability (5 patients), dizziness (5 patients), episodic loss of consciousness (2 patients), and hypersomnolence (1 patient). The mean preoperative cyst diameter was 1.5 cm (range 0.9–2.2 cm). All patients had a complete resection. At a mean clinical follow-up of 19.1 months (range postoperative to 71 months), 17 (94%) patients had resolution or improvement of their presenting symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors' results suggest that ventriculomegaly and Parinaud's syndrome are not absolute requisites for a pineal cyst to be symptomatic. Analogous to colloid cysts of the third ventricle, intermittent occlusion of cerebrospinal fluid pathways may cause small pineal cysts to become intermittently symptomatic. A select cohort of patients with pineal cysts may benefit from surgery despite a lack of hydrocephalus or other obvious compressive pathology.

Combined rigid and flexible endoscopy for tumors in the posterior third ventricle

OBJECT

Tumors leading to occlusion of the sylvian aqueduct include those of pineal, thalamic, and tectal origins. These tumors cause obstructive hydrocephalus and thus necessitate a CSF diversion procedure such as an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), often coupled with an endoscopic biopsy (EBX). Lesions located posterior to the massa intermedia pose a technical challenge, as the use of a rigid endoscope for performing both an ETV and EBX is limited. The authors describe their experience using a combined rigid and flexible endoscopic procedure through a single bur hole for both procedures in patients with posterior third ventricular tumors.

METHODS

Since January 2012, patients with posterior third ventricular tumors causing hydrocephalus underwent dual ETV and EBX procedures using the combined rigid-flexible endoscopic technique. Following institutional review board approval, data from clinical, radiological, surgical, and pathological records were retrospectively collected.

RESULTS

Six patients 3.5-53 years of age were included. Lesion locations included pineal (n = 3), fourth ventricle (n = 1), aqueduct (n = 1), and tectum (n = 1). The ETV and EBX were successful in all cases. Pathologies included pilocytic astrocytoma, pineoblastoma, ependymoma Grade II, germinoma, low-grade glioneural tumor, and atypical choroid plexus papilloma. One patient experienced an immediate postoperative intraventricular hemorrhage necessitating evacuation of the clots and resection of the tumor, eventually leading to the patient's death.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors recommend using a combined rigid-flexible endoscope for endoscopic third ventriculostomy and biopsy to approach posterior third ventricular tumors (behind the massa intermedia). This technique overcomes the limitations of using a rigid endoscope by reaching 2 distant regions.

Endoscopic surgery for hemorrhagic pineal cyst following antiplatelet therapy: case report

Pineal cysts of the third ventricle presenting with acute obstructive hydrocephalus due to internal cystic hemorrhage are a rare clinical entity. The authors report a case of a 61-year-old man taking antiplatelet medication who suffered from a hemorrhagic pineal cyst and was treated with endoscopic surgery. One month prior to treatment, the patient was diagnosed with a brainstem infarction and received clopidogrel in addition to aspirin. A small incidental pineal cyst was concurrently diagnosed using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging which was intended to be followed conservatively. The patient presented with a sudden onset of headache and diplopia. On admission, the neurological examination revealed clouding of consciousness and Parinaud syndrome. Computerized tomography (CT) scans demonstrated a hemorrhagic mass lesion in the posterior third ventricle. The patient underwent emergency external ventricular drainage with staged endoscopic biopsy and third ventriculostomy using a flexible videoscope. Histological examination revealed pineal tissue with necrotic change and no evidence of tumor cells. One year later MR imaging demonstrated no evidence of cystic lesion and a flow void between third ventricle and prepontine cistern. In patients with asymptomatic pineal cysts who are treated with antiplatelet therapy, it is important to be aware of the risk of pineal apoplexy. Endoscopic management can be effective for treatment of hemorrhagic pineal cyst with obstructive hydrocephalus.

Update on the management of pineal cysts: Case series and a review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

The natural history of pineal cysts still remains unclear. Incidental pineal cysts have become more common which raises the question of their management. Symptomatic pineal cysts may require a surgical solution but therapeutic indications have not yet been clearly established.

METHOD

From 1986 to 2012, 26 patients with pineal cysts were identified. Their medical records were retrospectively assessed focusing on the initial symptoms, imaging characteristics of the cyst, management strategy, operative technique and their complications, as well as the latest follow-up. A systematic review of the literature is also presented.

RESULTS

Twenty-six patients with pineal cysts were identified. The mean age was 23.5 years ranging from 7 to 49 years. Symptoms included intracranial hypertension with obstructive hydrocephalus in 18 cases and oculomotor anomalies in 12 cases. Two adult cases presented with non-specific headaches and did not require surgery. Twenty patients were operated via a suboccipital transtentorial approach with total removal of the cyst in 70% of the cases, while the remaining 4 cases were treated with an intraventricular endoscopic marsupialization associating a third ventriculostomy. Four patients required a preoperative ventriculo-peritoneal shunt due to life-threatening obstructive hydrocephalus. Overall, peri-operative mortality was nil. In the two non-operated patients, the cyst remained stable and no recurrences were observed in all operated patients with a mean follow-up of 144 months.

CONCLUSION

In the majority of incidental pineal cysts, a clinical and imaging follow-up is sufficient but occasionally not required especially in adults as very rare cases of increase in size have been reported.

The endoscopic intraventricular management of pineal cysts: a minimally invasive modus operandi

BACKGROUND

The management of pineal cysts is still debatable, especially for asymptomatic incidental ones. For symptomatic cysts associated with hydrocephalus, the surgical management is mandatory and may include either classical microsurgical approaches to the pineal region or endoscopic trans-ventricular approaches in a minimally invasive philosophy.

METHOD

The authors expose a stepwise technique to treat a pineal cyst associated with an obstructive hydrocephalus in one procedure gathering a third ventriculostomy followed by an intraventricular marsupialisation of the pineal cyst.

CONCLUSION

This endoscopic approach allows the treatment of the hydrocephalus and the pineal cyst in one short minimally invasive procedure.

Arterial vascularization of the pineal gland

PURPOSE

The arterial vascularization of the pineal gland (PG) remains a debatable subject. This study aims to provide detailed information about the arterial vascularization of the PG.

METHODS

Thirty adult human brains were obtained from routine autopsies. Cerebral arteries were separately cannulated and injected with colored latex. The dissections were carried out using a surgical microscope. The diameters of the branches supplying the PG at their origin and vascularization areas of the branches of the arteries were investigated.

RESULTS

The main artery of the PG was the lateral pineal artery, and it originated from the posterior circulation. The other arteries included the medial pineal artery from the posterior circulation and the rostral pineal artery mainly from the anterior circulation. Posteromedial choroidal artery was an important artery that branched to the PG. The arterial supply to the PG was studied comprehensively considering the debate and inadequacy of previously published studies on this issue available in the literature.

CONCLUSIONS

This anatomical knowledge may be helpful for surgical treatment of pathologies of the PG, especially in children who develop more pathology in this region than adults.

Pineal cysts in children: case-based update

PURPOSE

Pineal cysts (PC) are found in children as often asymptomatic and without change in their size over the time. However, there are some debatable issues about their evolution and management in the pediatric population. The aim of the present paper is to update the information regarding pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and management of these lesions.

METHODS

All the pertinent literature was reviewed, and a meta-analysis of operated on cases was carried out. An illustrative case regarding the clinical evolution of a 13-year-old girl is also presented.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

PC are often asymptomatic and do not evolve over the time. However, since there is a certain risk of clinical and/or radiological progression, or even sudden and severe clinical onset (apoplexy), both a clinical and radiological follow-up is recommended in the pediatric age. The surgical excision is usually limited to symptomatic patients or to cases with clear radiological evolution.

Prevalence and natural history of pineal cysts in adults

OBJECT

We reviewed our experience with pineal cysts to define the natural history and clinical relevance of this common intracranial finding.

METHODS

The study population consisted of 48,417 consecutive patients who underwent brain MR imaging at a single institution over a 12-year interval and who were over 18 years of age at the time of imaging. Patient characteristics, including demographic data and other intracranial diagnoses, were collected from cases involving patients with a pineal cyst. We then identified all patients with pineal cysts who had been clinically evaluated at our institution and who had at least 6 months of clinical and imaging follow-up. All inclusion criteria for the natural history analysis were met in 151 patients.

RESULTS

Pineal cysts measuring 5 mm or larger in greatest dimension were found in 478 patients (1.0%). Of these, 162 patients were male and 316 were female. On follow-up MR imaging of 151 patients with pineal cyst at a mean interval of 3.4 years from the initial study, 124 pineal cysts remained stable, 4 increased in size, and 23 decreased in size. Cysts that were larger at the time of initial diagnosis were more likely to decrease in size over the follow-up interval (p = 0.004). Patient sex, patient age at diagnosis, and the presence of septations within the cyst were not significantly associated with cyst change on follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Follow-up imaging and neurosurgical evaluation are not mandatory for adults with asymptomatic pineal cysts.

Are stereotactic sample biopsies still of value in the modern management of pineal region tumours? Lessons from a single-department, retrospective series

OBJECTIVE

Recent improvements in imaging-based diagnosis, the broader application of neuroendoscopic techniques and advances in open surgery techniques mean that the need for stereotactic biopsies in the management of pineal region tumours must be reevaluated. The primary aim of this retrospective study was to establish whether stereotactic biopsy is still of value in the modern management of pineal region tumours.

METHODS

From 1985 to 2009, 88 consecutive patients underwent a stereotactic biopsy in our institution (51 males and 37 females; median age at presentation 30; range 2-74).

RESULTS

Accurate tissue diagnoses were obtained in all but one case (i.e. 99%). In one case (1%), three distinct stereotactic procedures were necessary to obtain a tissue diagnosis. There was no mortality or permanent morbidity associated with stereotactic biopsy. One patient (1%) presented an intra-parenchymal hematoma but no related clinical symptoms. Five patients (6%) presented transient morbidity, which lasted for between 2 days and 3 weeks after the biopsy.

CONCLUSIONS

To guide subsequent treatment, we believe that histological diagnosis is paramount. Stereotactic biopsies are currently the safest and the most efficient way of obtaining this essential information. Recent improvements in stereotactic technology (particularly robotic techniques) appear to be very valuable, with almost no permanent morbidity or mortality risk and no decrease in the accuracy rate. In our opinion, other available neurosurgical techniques (such as endoscopic neurosurgery, stereotactic neurosurgery and open microsurgery) are complementary and not competitive.