Melanocytoma of the left optic nerve head and right retrobulbar optic neuropathy compressed by a tuberculum sellae meningioma

A 40-year-old woman had a highly pigmented, slightly elevated tumor on the left optic disc, She had no visual disturbance in the left eye. The tumor w as stationary for 5 years. At age 45 years, she complained of decreased vis ual acuity in the right eye. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a right-shif ted homogeneous lesion at the tuberculum sellae, Histopathologic study of t he excised lesion revealed interlacing bundles of spindle-shaped fibroblast -like cells with whorl formation, We believe that a relationship between me lanocytoma of the optic nerve head and a tuberculum sellae meningioma may e xist rather than a chance occurrence, as previously suggested by others. Co pyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.