SURGICAL-TREATMENT OF MENINGIOMAS OF THE ORBIT AND OPTIC CANAL - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE VISUAL OUTCOME

A series of 57 patients affected either by optic nerve sheath meningio mas (15 patients) or by secondary meningiomas extending into the orbit al apex or optic canal (42 patients)has been reviewed. Proptosis (80%) , progressive visual loss (76%), and visual fields defects (63%) were the most common pre-operative complaints. All patients underwent trans cranial surgery. Radical tumour resection was possible in 9 out of 15 primary and 22 out of 32 secondary tumours. Overall, 27% of the patien ts obtained improved postoperative visual acuity, 62% remained unchang ed, and 11% were worse. The postoperative visual outcome was related t o the degree of pre-operative visual impairment. In a period between 3 8 and 68 months, 5 meningiomas recurred. The time to progression of pa rtially resected lesions ranged between 9 and 68 months.