Papillary tumor of the pineal region: ultrastructural study of a case

Papillary tumor of the pineal region (PTPR) is a recently classified neuroepithelial tumor for which there has been little comprehensive ultrastructural study. Here, we describe the radiographic, intraoperative, histologic, immunohistochemical, and in-depth ultrastructural findings in a case of PTPR. This study corroborates that PTPR has concomitant ependymal, neuroendocrine, and secretory features, and details novel ultrastructural as well as immunohistochemical features that further this argument. Discrepancies with prior descriptions of PTPR are described, as these differences may reflect phenotypic variability in this rare tumor, and the ultrastructural features that relate to the putative ependymal origin of the entity are emphasized.