title: Gangliogliomas involving the optic chiasm.
abstract: We report three patients with gangliogliomas involving the optic chiasm via distinct mechanisms. The ganglioglioma in one patient likely originated in the temporal lobe and spread medially to involve the chiasm, and diffuse spinal cord dissemination also occurred. Chiasmal involvement in this manner and dissemination at presentation are unusual for gangliogliomas. The tumor in a second patient was intrinsic to the hypothalmus and chiasm, while in the third patient, it involved both optic tracts, and a cyst compressed the chiasm laterally. Two patients developed severe bilateral visual loss, while the other had a stable bitemporal hemianopsia. Two patients received radiotherapy, but one continued to lose vision. Although gangliogliomas rarely involve chiasm, the mechanisms by which they produce chiasmal visual loss may be diverse, and the long-term visual prognosis is variable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Galetta
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Rorke
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Bilaniuk
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Vojta
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Molloy
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Needle
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Duhaime
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Volpe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003560:Cysts / Q000150:complications; D005047:Etoposide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D018303:Ganglioglioma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D009897:Optic Chiasm / Q000473:pathology*; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D013346:Subarachnoid Space; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide