Contemporary management of pineocytoma

Pineocytoma is a rare tumor; therefore, assimilating data from case reports and small case series to generate definitive treatment guidelines is difficult. The authors recently systematically reviewed the existing literature on outcomes for patients with pineocytoma. Gross total resection is associated with significantly increased tumor control and survival compared with subtotal resection combined with radiotherapy. When gross total resection is not possible, adding radiotherapy to subtotal resection is not associated with increases in either tumor control or survival. Although aggressive surgery in the pineal region carries the risk of neurologic injury, gross total resection should be attempted for pineocytoma.