Clinical, Pathological, and Surgical Outcomes for Adult Pineoblastomas

Introduction Pineoblastomas are uncommon primitive neuroectodermal tumors that occur mostly in children; they are exceedingly rare in adults. Few published reports have compared the various aspects of these tumors between adults and children. Methods The authors report a series of 12 pineoblastomas in adults from 2 institutions over 24 years. The clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features and clinical outcomes were compared with previously reported cases in children and adults. Results Patient age ranged from 24 to 81 years, and all but 1 patient exhibited symptoms of obstructive hydrocephalus. Three patients underwent gross total resection, and subtotal resection was performed in 3 patients. Diagnostic biopsy specimens were obtained in an additional 6 patients. Pathologically, the tumors had the classical morphologic and immunohistochemical features of pineoblastomas. Postoperatively, 10 patients received radiotherapy, and 5 patients received chemotherapy. Compared with previously reported cases, several differences were noted in clinical outcomes. Of the 12 patients, only 5 (42%) died of their disease (average length of survival, 118 months); 5 patients (42%) are alive with no evidence of disease (average length of follow-up, 92 months). One patient died of unrelated causes, and one was lost to follow-up. Patients with subtotal resections or diagnostic biopsies did not suffer a worse prognosis. Of the 9 patients with biopsy or subtotal resection, 4 are alive, 4 died of their disease, and 1 died of an unrelated hemorrhagic cerebral infarction. Conclusions Although this series is small, the data suggest that pineoblastomas in adults have a less aggressive clinical course than in children

Nouvelles précisions à propos de l'outillage paléolithique ancien sur galets du Khorassan (Iran)

In 1974, pebble tools, made primarily from quartz, were found on the surface of the oldest alluvial fill of the Kashafrud basin in Khorassan (Iran). In the autumn of 1975, an archaic industry, composed of choppers, chopping-tools, tools on primitive flakes, debitage flakes and cores was found in situ in the highest level of large fluvial alluvium deposits dating from the Lower Pleistocene. For the moment, this represents the oldest Paleolithic tool assemblage in Iran.Un premier lot d'outils sur galets, principalement de quartz, fut trouvé, en 1974, en surface du remplissage alluvial le plus ancien du bassin de la Kashafrud, en Khorassan (Iran). Lors d'une seconde mission, à l'automne 1975, l'industrie archaïque (choppers, chopping-tools, outils sur éclats élémentaires, éclats de débitage, nucleus) fut découverte en place dans le banc le plus élevé des alluvions fluviatiles grossières rapportées au Pléistocène inférieur. Il s'agirait, pour l'instant, du plus ancien outillage paléolithique d'Iran.Ariai Ali, Thibault Claude. Nouvelles précisions à propos de l'outillage paléolithique ancien sur galets du Khorassan (Iran). In: Paléorient, 1975, vol. 3. pp. 101-108