A ti-year-old boy had obstructive hydrocephalus secondary to a partially ca
lcified pineal mass visualized by brain CT, An MRI showed homogenous enhanc
ement of a pineal gland tumor, a separate suprasellar mass, and the leptome
ninges of the brain stem and cervical spinal cord. F-18 FDG PET scan showed
increased glucose uptake in ail lesions. Biopsy of this pineal tumor indic
ated pineoblastoma. The CT and MRI features of pineoblastoma are nonspecifi
c and cannot distinguish the various types of pineal parenchymal tumors. F-
18 FDG PET scans could be helpful in classifying some difficult cases, beca
use higher levels of F-18 FDG uptake would be expected in the malignant typ
es because of increased glucose metabolism. PET scans could also be useful
in determining the degree of malignancy in those tumors with Intermediate d
ifferentiation.