Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of the National Medical Association logoLink to Journal of the National Medical Association
letter
. 1983 Aug;75(8):765–769.

Pineal Calcification Among Black Patients

Kuang-Jaw Fan
PMCID: PMC2561516  PMID: 6631985

Abstract

A postmortem histopathological study was done in 233 pineal glands of black patients. Among them, 70 percent showed microscopic evidence of calcification in the pineal parenchyma. The frequency of calcification increased with age. However, the severity of calcification reached the peak in the 60 to 69 year old age group and then gradually declined. As compared to males, females had slightly higher frequency and reached the peak of severity in younger age groups. When pineal calcification was compared among patients with various malignancies, a higher frequency and more severe calcification were observed in patients with carcinoma of the prostate and the pancreas. A lower frequency and less severe calcification were observed in patients with carcinoma of the breast and the cervix. The results of this study emphasize the important role of sex hormone in genesis of pineal calcification.

Full text

PDF
768

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adeloye A., Felson B. Incidence of normal pineal gland calcification in skull roentgenograms of black and white Americans. Am J Roentgenol Radium Ther Nucl Med. 1974 Nov;122(3):503–507. doi: 10.2214/ajr.122.3.503. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cohen M., Lippman M., Chabner B. Pineal gland and breast cancer. Lancet. 1978 Dec 23;2(8104-5):1381–1382. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)92018-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. DREXLER J., MEANEY T. F., McCORMACK L. J. The calcified pineal body and carcinoma. Cleve Clin Q. 1957 Oct;24(4):242–247. doi: 10.3949/ccjm.24.4.242. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Daramola G. F., Olowu A. O. Physiological and radiological implications of a low incidence of pineal calcification in Nigeria. Neuroendocrinology. 1972;9(1):41–57. doi: 10.1159/000122036. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dewan E. M., Menkin M. F., Rock J. Effect of photic stimulation on the human menstrual cycle. Photochem Photobiol. 1978 May;27(5):581–585. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.1978.tb07649.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hooper R. J., Silman R. E., Leone R. M., Finnie M. D., Carter S. J., Grudzinskas J. G., Gordon Y. B., Holland D. T., Chard T., Mullen P. E. Changes in the concentration of 5-methoxytryptophol in the circulation at different phases of the human menstrual cycle. J Endocrinol. 1979 Aug;82(2):269–264. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0820269. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lapin V. Pineal influences on tumor. Prog Brain Res. 1979;52:523–533. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Mullen P. E., Smith I. The endocrinology of the human pineal. Br J Hosp Med. 1981 Mar;25(3):248, 253-6. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ogle T. F., Kitay J. I. Effects of pinealectomy on adrenal function in vivo and in vitro in female rats. Endocrinology. 1976 Jan;98(1):20–24. doi: 10.1210/endo-98-1-20. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pilling J. R., Hawkins T. D. Distribution of calcification within the pineal gland. Br J Radiol. 1977 Nov;50(599):796–798. doi: 10.1259/0007-1285-50-599-796. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Poltera A. A., Mugondi S. G. The degree of calcification and the weight of pineal glands in Ugandan Africans. Afr J Med Med Sci. 1976 Jun;5(2):160–174. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Reiter R. J., Rollag M. D., Panke E. S., Banks A. F. Melatonin: reproductive effects. J Neural Transm Suppl. 1978;(13):209–223. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Relkin R. Use of melatonin and synthetic TRH to determine site of pineal inhibition of TSH secretion. Neuroendocrinology. 1978;25(5):310–318. doi: 10.1159/000122751. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Rodin A. E., Overall J. Statistical relationships of weight of the human pineal to age and malignancy. Cancer. 1967 Aug;20(8):1203–1214. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(196708)20:8<1203::aid-cncr2820200804>3.0.co;2-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Røonnelkeiv O. K., McCann S. M. Growth hormone release in conscious pinealectomized and sham-operated male rats. Endocrinology. 1978 Jun;102(6):1694–1701. doi: 10.1210/endo-102-6-1694. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Tapp E., Blumfield M. The weight of the pineal gland in malignancy. Br J Cancer. 1970 Mar;24(1):67–70. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1970.9. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tapp E., Huxley M. The histological appearance of the human pineal gland from puberty to old age. J Pathol. 1972 Oct;108(2):137–144. doi: 10.1002/path.1711080207. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Tapp E., Huxley M. The weight and degree of calcification of the pineal gland. J Pathol. 1971 Sep;105(1):31–39. doi: 10.1002/path.1711050105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Tapp E. The histology and pathology of the human pineal gland. Prog Brain Res. 1979;52:481–500. doi: 10.1016/S0079-6123(08)62955-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tapp E. The human pineal gland in malignancy. J Neural Transm. 1980;48(2):119–129. doi: 10.1007/BF01250040. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. WURTMAN R. J., AXELROD J., BARCHAS J. D. AGE AND ENZYME ACTIVITY IN THE HUMAN PINEAL. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1964 Mar;24:299–301. doi: 10.1210/jcem-24-3-299. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Wetterberg L., Arendt J., Paunier L., Sizonenko P. C., Donselaar W., Heyden T. Human serum melatonin changes during the menstrual cycle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1976 Jan;42(1):185–188. doi: 10.1210/jcem-42-1-185. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the National Medical Association are provided here courtesy of National Medical Association

RESOURCES