Spontaneous Regression Of Optic Gliomas: Thirteen Cases Documented By Serial Neuroimaging

Abstract

Parsa CF, Hoyt CS, Lesser RL, et al. Spontaneous regression of optic gliomas: thirteen cases documented by serial neuroimaging. Arch Ophthalmol 2001;119:416. The natural history of optic nerve gliomas in children, especially those associated with neurofibromatosis type 1, remains to be determined. These authors report a series of 13 patients with optic nerve gliomas, five of whom had neurofibromatosis. In 12 of the 13 patients, spontaneous regression of the gliomas was noted on neuroimaging. In ten of these patients, regression was accompanied by improvement in visual acuity. These results are important in determining the natural history of optic nerve glioma, especially when evaluating the putative effect of chemotherapy and radiation for management of these tumors. However, it should be noted that this was a series of cases collected from multiple institutions worldwide.