Opto-chiasmatic arachnoiditis in the young.
14 young patients, operated upon for opto-chiasmatic arachnoiditis by craniotomy are presented. 2 main etiopathogenetic forms (and their respective clinical equivalents) of the disease could be recognized. Only 1 postoperative death occurred, in a patient with a dominant clinical picture of intracranial hypertension. Results of surgery (craniotomy and lysis of adhesions) could be distinguished as positive (functional improvement) in 5 cases, indifferent or negative in the others, with a follow-up duration of up to 23 years. The role of the diagnostic value of the pneumoencephalogram as a basis for surgical indication is discussed: it is felt that this examination, when reported as negative, is not of sufficient value to rule out the diagnosis, which must essentially rely upon clinical data.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001100:Arachnoiditis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009897:Optic Chiasm; D009902:Optic Neuritis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011011:Pneumoencephalography