Spontaneous pinealoma in a male Crj:CD (SD) IGS rat. (1/90)

A pinealoma (benign) was found in a 61-week-old male Crj:CD (SD) IGS rat. The neoplasm was located between the cerebral hemispheres and the cerebellum. Histologically, the tumor cells consisted of two cell types: large, pale-staining cells and small dark-staining cells. A fibrovascular stroma divided the tumor cells into incomplete lobules or nest structures. Relatively numerous mitoses were noted in the tumor cells. Ultrastructurally, the tumor cells contained dense-cored vesicles, approximately 120 nm in diameter.  (+info)

The role of chemotherapy in intracranial germinoma: a case report. (2/90)

BACKGROUND: The case of a 29-year-old man with histologically proven simultaneous germinoma (seminoma) of the pineal gland and a stage I embryonal carcinoma of the testis is reported. An intradural metastatic lesion from the pineal germinoma was diagnosed at the level of the first thoracic vertebra. Treatment, after inguinal orchiectomy, was chemotherapy only, rather than conventional radiotherapy for the pineal germinoma. METHODS: Therapy consisted of bleomycin (B), etoposide (E) and cisplatin (P). MRI was used to assess the effectiveness of BEP chemotherapy. RESULTS: A complete remission of the pineal gland germinoma and the epidural metastasis was documented after two cycles of BEP chemotherapy and after 15 months of follow-up the patient remains free of relapse. DISCUSSION: The pathogenesis of simultaneously occurring germinoma of the pineal gland and embryonal cell carcinoma of the testis is discussed. The choice of therapy in these circumstances is a matter of debate and the good result of chemotherapy alone in this patient suggest that primary chemotherapy may be the therapy of choice in patients with pineal germinomas.  (+info)

Pineoblastoma showing unusual ventricular extension in a young adult--case report. (3/90)

A 19-year-old male presented with a 4-week history of headache. Neurological examination showed bilateral papilledema. Computed tomography revealed a pineal region mass with remarkable obstructive hydrocephalus. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a pineal region tumor continuously invading through the tectum into the cerebral aqueduct and the fourth ventricle with the preservation of the adjacent structures. The tumor appeared an iso- to hypointense mass on T1-weighted images, a heterogeneous iso- to hyperintense mass on T2-weighted images, and a heterogeneously enhanced mass after administration of contrast medium. Histological examination after endoscopic biopsy confirmed that the tumor was a pineoblastoma. Radiotherapy was given to the whole brain and the spinal cord, and magnetic resonance imaging showed complete remission of the tumor. Pineoblastomas are highly malignant tumors with seeding potential through the neighboring ventricle or along the meninges, and this type of tumor becomes larger with local extension. We found no previous reports of the continuous extension into the fourth ventricle. The present case showed ventricular extension with minimal mass effect to adjacent structures, and did not disturb ventricular configuration. According to the unusual finding of ventricular extension, this rare case of pineoblastoma requires adjuvant chemotherapy.  (+info)

Mixed germ cell tumour of the pineal region: a case report. (4/90)

An intracranial mixed germ cell tumour with germinoma and teratoma components is reported. The patient presented with parinaud's syndrome and precocious puberty. The treatment involved partial surgical debulking followed by whole brain radiotherapy (4500 cGY in 25 fraction over 5 weeks) and chemotherapy (consisting of cisplatin and etoposide). Post treatment MRI showed no residual lesion. The controversies in the management are discussed.  (+info)

Simultaneous development of a pineal tumor and an intradural spinal mass during remission of acute lymphocytic leukemia. (5/90)

A small percentage of children with acute lymphocytic leukemia experience relapse in the central nervous system in spite of prophylaxis. Diffuse leptomeningeal infiltration is common but an intracranial leukemic mass or spinal cord involvement is a rare manifestation. We report a child with acute lymphocytic leukemia who simultaneously developed a pineal tumor and an intradural spinal cord mass as her first relapse. She was successfully managed by comprehensive combined treatment including peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. She remains in continuous complete remission for more than 5 years without further evidence of neurological sequelae.  (+info)

Serotonin induces apoptosis in PGT-beta pineal gland tumor cells. (6/90)

Serotonin-induced neuronal cell death has been implicated as a possible cause of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. To investigate the involvement of serotonin-induced apoptosis as a potential mechanism in the pathophysiology of serotonin-related diseases, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining, TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling) assay and flow cytometric analysis were performed using the immortalized pineal cell line PGT-beta. Through morphological and biochemical analyses, it was demonstrated that cell death induced by serotonin in PGT-beta cells shows classic apoptotic features. These data suggest that serotonin induces apoptosis in PGT-beta cells.  (+info)

Pharmacological characterization of adenosine receptors in PGT-beta mouse pineal gland tumour cells. (7/90)

1. The adenosine receptor in mouse pinealocytes was identified and characterized using pharmacological and physiological approaches. 2. Expression of the two adenosine receptor subtypes A2B and A3 was detected in mouse pineal glands and PGT-beta cells by polymerase chain reaction and nucleotide sequencing. 3. Adenosine and 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) evoked cyclic AMP generation but the A2)-selective agonist 2-(4-(2-carboxyethyl)phenylethylamino)adenosine-5'-N-ethylcarboxamideadenosine (CGS 21680) and the A1-specific agonists R-N(6)-(2-phenylisopropyl)adenosine (R-PIA) and N(6)-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) had little effect on intracellular cyclic AMP levels. The A2B receptor selective antagonists alloxazine and enprofylline completely blocked NECA-mediated cyclic AMP accumulation. 4. Treatment of cells with the A3-selective agonist N(6)-(3-iodobenzyl)-5'-(N-methylcarbamoyl)adenosine (IB-MECA) inhibited the elevation of the cyclic AMP level induced by NECA or isoproterenol in a concentration-dependent manner with maximal inhibition of 40 - 50%. These responses were blocked by the specific A3 adenosine receptor antagonist MRS 1191. Pretreatment of the cells with pertussis toxin attenuated the IB-MECA-induced responses, suggesting that this effect occurred via the pertussis toxin-sensitive inhibitory G proteins. 5. IB-MECA also caused a concentration-dependent elevation in [Ca(2+)]i and IP3 content. Both the responses induced by IB-MECA were attenuated by treatment with U73122 or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. 6. These data suggest the presence of both A2B and A3 adenosine receptors in mouse pineal tumour cells and that the A2B receptor is positively coupled to adenylyl cyclase whereas the A3 receptor is negatively coupled to adenylyl cyclase and also coupled to phospholipase C.  (+info)

Descriptive epidemiology of primary brain and CNS tumors: results from the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States, 1990-1994. (8/90)

The Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) obtained 5 years of incidence data (1990-1994)--including reports on all primary brain and CNS tumors--from 11 collaborating state cancer registries. Data were available for 20,765 tumors located in the brain, meninges, and other CNS sites, including the pituitary and pineal glands. The average annual incidence was estimated at 11.5 cases per 100,000 person-years. The higher incidence of tumors in male patients (12.1 per 100,000 person-years) than in female patients (11.0 per 100,000 person-years) was statistically significant (P < 0.05); the higher incidence in whites (11.6 per 100,000 person-years) compared with blacks (7.8 per 100,000 person-years) was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The most frequently reported histologies were meningiomas (24.0%) and glioblastomas (22.6%). Higher rates for glioblastomas, anaplastic astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, anaplastic oligodendrogliomas, ependymomas, mixed gliomas, astrocytomas not otherwise specified, medulloblastomas, lymphomas, and germ cell tumors in male than in female patients were statistically significant (P < 0.05), with relative risks (RR) ranging from 1.3 to 3.4. Meningiomas were the only tumors with a significant excess in females (RR = 0.5). We noted higher occurrence rates in whites than in blacks for the following histologies: diffuse astrocytomas, anaplastic astrocytomas, glioblastomas, oligodendrogliomas, ependymomas, mixed gliomas, astrocytomas NOS, medulloblastomas, nerve sheath tumors, hemangioblastomas, and germ cell tumors, with RRs ranging from 1.5 to 3.4. Racial differences in occurrence rates were not observed for predominately benign meningiomas or pituitary tumors. This study represents the largest compilation of data on primary brain and CNS tumors in the United States. Standard reporting definitions and practices must be universally adopted to improve the quality and use of cancer registry data.  (+info)

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