Pineal cysts in children

Objective To describe the prevalence and characteristics of pineal cysts found on MRI in children. Methods This is a retrospective monocentric study of all brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations performed under the same technical conditions for checking the idiopathic nature of short stature (ISS group, n = 116) and for the investigation of central precocious puberty (CPP) over a 3-year period (n = 56). Dimensions, wall and septal thickness, number of locules, signal intensity, and the presence of a solid component were analysed. Ten of 19 cysts were re-evaluated (follow-up interval 4–28 months). The prevalence of the pineal cysts was compared between the two groups using χ 2 and Fisher’s exact tests, and a significance threshold of p