Idiopathic scoliosis and pineal lesions in Australian children.

PURPOSE To determine whether treatment of pineal lesions in children is associated with development of idiopathic scoliosis. METHODS 38 boys and 10 girls with pineal lesions were identified. Their mean age at presentation was 10 years. The pineal pathology varied from cysts and epidermoid to teratoma, germinoma, pineocytoma, and glioblastoma. Treatment ranged from biopsy/extirpation to radiotherapy. RESULTS 12 patients died. No scoliosis was found in any females or any of the deceased. Two boys had scoliosis: one had a 12-degree right upper thoracic curve with 32-degree kyphosis and the other had a 60-degree right thoracolumbar idiopathic curve, requiring a 2-stage arthrodesis. CONCLUSION Pineal ablation is not related to the development of idiopathic scoliosis in humans.