Abstract
The ultrastructure of a “seminoma-like tumor” of the pineal region (atypical teratoma of the pineal) was described. The tumor was composed of large clear polygonal cells and small lymphocyte-like cells. The origin of the large cells was not clearly established. Although some ultrastructural similarities were found between pineal parenchymal cells and tumor cells, the similarities between germinal and seminoma cells were even more striking. Most of the small cells were identical to lymphocytes; some were leukocytes and some were phagocytes. It was thought that the lymphocytic infiltration could represent an immunological response of the host against possible tumor antigen(s). Intact phagocytes were found within the cytoplasm of some of the large tumor cells. This was thought possibly to represent immunologically mediated destruction of tumor by activated phagocytes. Whether or not the tumor arose in gonadal elements (germinal cells) could not be established.
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