Low-Level Cerebrospinal Fluid β-hCG Elevation in Patients with Pineal Parenchymal Tumors: A Four-Case Series and Diagnostic Caution
Yixuan He, Chuhong Tong, Yanong Li, Tao Jiang, Bo Li · 2026
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Description
Yixuan He and co-authors warn that a hormone signal in spinal fluid can mislead diagnosis of pineal tumors. Their 2026 case series covers four boys and young men, aged eight to nineteen. A low rise in one hormone, beta-hCG, often supports a diagnosis of germinoma in this brain region. All four patients showed that pattern. Tumor tissue, though, told a different story.
Two samples taken before treatment showed mid grade pineal tissue tumors. Two taken after chemotherapy showed pineoblastoma, a more aggressive tumor. Blood levels of the hormone stayed near zero in all four; spinal fluid levels ran from 2.86 to 18.29 units. A second marker stayed normal throughout. Two patients got chemotherapy for a presumed germ cell tumor before tissue was checked. The authors caution that a low hormone rise alone does not prove germinoma.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Yixuan He, Chuhong Tong, Yanong Li, Tao Jiang, Bo Li |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 26 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |