Prevalence of pineal cysts in healthy individuals: Emphasis on size, morphology and pineal recess crowding

Bogna Warsza; Pernille Due-Tønnessen; Paulina Due-Tønnessen; Are Pripp; Geir Ringstad; Per K Eide

doi:10.1016/j.jns.2023.120801

Prevalence of pineal cysts in healthy individuals: Emphasis on size, morphology and pineal recess crowding

J Neurol Sci. 2023 Oct 15:453:120801. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2023.120801. Epub 2023 Sep 12.

Authors

Bogna Warsza¹, Pernille Due-Tønnessen², Paulina Due-Tønnessen³, Are Pripp⁴, Geir Ringstad⁵, Per K Eide⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Oslo University Hospital-Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
² Department of Radiology, Baerum Hospital, Drammen, Norway.
³ Clinic for Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁴ Oslo Centre of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Research Support Services, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.
⁵ Department of Radiology, Oslo University Hospital-Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway; Department of Geriatrics and Internal Medicine, Sorlandet Hospital, Arendal, Norway.
⁶ Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Neurosurgery; Oslo University Hospital-Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: p.k.eide@medisin.uio.no.

PMID: 37741123
DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2023.120801

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine prevalence of non-hydrocephalic pineal cysts of different size and morphology in healthy individuals. In a cohort of healthy individuals who as part of research volunteered to undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, we performed a systematic search for occurrence of pineal cysts of different sizes, morphology and evidence of crowding of the pineal recess. Degree of crowding in the pineal recess was estimated by the imaging biomarkers anterior-posterior diameter and cyst-tectum-splenium (CTS) ratio at midsagittal MRI. The study included a cohort of 994 healthy individuals, aged 47.0 ± 21.1 years in whom a pineal cyst was demonstrated in 337/994 (37.5%) individuals. A small cyst within a mainly solid gland was observed in 252/994 (25.4%) subjects and a mainly cystic gland in121/994 (12.2%). The pineal cysts were more frequent in women than men, and were associated with age, though not with reduced prevalence in aged individuals, as previously reported. Cysts with maximum anterior-posterior diameter ≥ 10 mm were seen in 51/994 (5.1%) individuals, and with CTS ratio ≥ 0.9 in 16/994 (1.6%) individuals. The occurrence of pineal cysts is frequent and is seen more frequently in women. It usually presents as a small cyst in a predominantly solid gland; however, pineal cysts causing crowding of the pineal recess with a CTS ratio ≥ 0.9 was seen in merely 1.6% of participants.

Keywords: Pineal cyst; Pineal cyst biomarkers; Prevalence.