A preliminary study of human pineal gland concretions: structural and chemical analysis.

Acervuli and fragments of pineal gland obtained from 33 subjects of both sexes and age ranging from 1 to 87 years, (30 autopsy and 3 biopsy specimens) were analyzed by light microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray energy dispersive microanalysis. It was found that primary mineralization occurs in an organic matrix formed by pinealocytes and that hydroxyapatite also takes place in mineral deposition. From our analysis, the formation of acervuli appears to be age and sex independent and can be possibly related to the secretory activity of the gland.