TY - JOUR

T1 - Tumors of the optic nerve

AU - Lindegaard, Jens

AU - Heegaard, Steffen

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - A variety of lesions may involve the optic nerve. Mainly, these lesions are inflammatory or vascular lesions that rarely necessitate surgery but may induce significant visual morbidity. Orbital tumors may induce proptosis, visual loss, relative afferent pupillary defect, disc edema and optic atrophy, but less than one-tenth of these tumors are confined to the optic nerve or its sheaths. No signs or symptoms are pathognomonic for tumors of the optic nerve. The tumors of the optic nerve may originate from the optic nerve itself (primary tumors) as a proliferation of cells normally present in the nerve (e.g., astrocytes and meningothelial cells). The optic nerve may also be invaded from tumors originating elsewhere (secondary tumors), invading the nerve from adjacent structures (e.g., choroidal melanoma and retinoblastoma) or from distant sites (e.g., lymphocytic infiltration and distant metastases). The purpose of this paper is to describe the various primary tumors of the optic nerve. In the first part of the review, the frequency, demographics and clinical presentation with systemic associations of the tumors are described, as well as the diagnostic features. In the second part, primarily tumor-specific histologic features are given. Finally, treatment modalities and prognosis are discussed.

AB - A variety of lesions may involve the optic nerve. Mainly, these lesions are inflammatory or vascular lesions that rarely necessitate surgery but may induce significant visual morbidity. Orbital tumors may induce proptosis, visual loss, relative afferent pupillary defect, disc edema and optic atrophy, but less than one-tenth of these tumors are confined to the optic nerve or its sheaths. No signs or symptoms are pathognomonic for tumors of the optic nerve. The tumors of the optic nerve may originate from the optic nerve itself (primary tumors) as a proliferation of cells normally present in the nerve (e.g., astrocytes and meningothelial cells). The optic nerve may also be invaded from tumors originating elsewhere (secondary tumors), invading the nerve from adjacent structures (e.g., choroidal melanoma and retinoblastoma) or from distant sites (e.g., lymphocytic infiltration and distant metastases). The purpose of this paper is to describe the various primary tumors of the optic nerve. In the first part of the review, the frequency, demographics and clinical presentation with systemic associations of the tumors are described, as well as the diagnostic features. In the second part, primarily tumor-specific histologic features are given. Finally, treatment modalities and prognosis are discussed.

KW - Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

KW - cancer

KW - cancer

KW - glioma

KW - meningioma

KW - optic nerve

KW - orbit

KW - pathology

KW - tumor

U2 - DOI: 10.1586/eop.09.4

DO - DOI: 10.1586/eop.09.4

M3 - Journal article

VL - 4

SP - 197

EP - 206

JO - Expert Review of Ophthalmology

JF - Expert Review of Ophthalmology

SN - 1746-9899

IS - 2

ER -