Annals of diagnostic pathology
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Twenty-one cases of nonneoplastic pineal cyst are presented. The patients were 13 women and 8 men, with a median age of 33 years. Sixteen patients were symptomatic. ⋯ One symptomatic patient who did not have surgery died suddenly of causes related to the cyst. The present study supports the role of surgical excision for the treatment of symptomatic pineal cysts to obtain adequate tissue for diagnosis and relief of symptoms. The use of histochemical and immunohistochemical studies may prove useful in the distinction of these lesions with astrocytomas and cystic pineal parenchymal tumors.