Orbital optic nerve glioma in adult life

A. E. Wulc, D. J. Bergin, D. Barnes, F. Scaravilli, J. E. Wright and W. I. McDonald
Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104.

In seven cases, optic nerve glioma presented as an expanding orbital mass in previously asymptomatic adults. Clinically and histologically, these tumors were similar to the orbital optic nerve gliomas of childhood; in contrast to the rapidly progressive malignant gliomas of the chiasm well described in adults, the patients with these tumors had a more benign clinical course. Management of optic nerve glioma in adulthood should be conservative in the presence of useful vision.