Optic nerve sheath meningiomas and advanced treatment options.
OBJECTIVE
Recent trends in the management of optic nerve sheath meningiomas have shifted towards fractionated conformal external beam radiotherapy. The purpose of this paper is to review the current literature on this subject and review the clinical characteristics and natural history of optic nerve sheath meningiomas.


RESULTS
Articles published within the last 2 years have reported the efficacy of using fractionated radiation therapy alone. A total of 62 patients in three studies have been reported; 40.3% retained stable visual acuity, 41.2% percent had improvement in their vision, and 18.4% percent had a decrease in visual acuity. Median follow-up time ranged from 22 to 51 months in these studies.


CONCLUSIONS
Optic nerve sheath meningiomas may be safely managed with fractionated external beam radiotherapy in select patients with possible improvement or stabilization of visual acuity. This represents an enormous improvement in a disease with typically poor visual prognosis.
Carrasco
Jacqueline R
JR
Wills Eye Hospital, Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery Service, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA. carrasco11@comcast.net
Penne
Robert B
RB
D019583:Dose Fractionation, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D008579:Meningioma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D018317:Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D019574:Optic Nerve Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal