Abstract
Simple SummaryOptic nerve sheath meningiomas (ONSM) are a rare subtype of meningioma. Only four retrospective studies with 3–21 patients have been published on the treatment of ONSM by radiosurgery. This study represents the largest published series on robotic radiosurgery to date, treating 25 patients with 27 ONSM lesions. Furthermore, hypofractionated radiosurgical treatment proves to be a safe alternative to surgery and fractionated stereotactic radiation with an overall local tumor control rate of 96.0% and stable or improved visual acuity in 90.0% and 10.0% of patients, respectively. We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature, as our results indicate that robotic radiosurgery is a safe and effective treatment for the management of ONSM and offers a potential treatment option that would improve patient care and clinical outcomes.The role of robotic radiosurgery (RRS) in the treatment of optic nerve sheath meningiomas (ONSM) remains controversial and it is only performed in specialized institutions due to tight dose constraints. We evaluated the effectiveness and safety of RRS in the management of ONSM. Twenty-five patients with 27 ONSM lesions who underwent RRS using the Cyberknife (CK) system were retrospectively analyzed (median age, 47.9 years; 84.0% women). Multisession RRS was used with 4–5 fractions with a cumulative dose of 20.0–25.0 Gy in 84.0% of patients and a single fraction at a dose of 14.0–15.0 Gy in 16% of patients. Prior to RRS, seven (28%) patients experienced blindness on the lesion side. In those patients with preserved vision prior to radiosurgery, the visual acuity remained the same in 90.0% and improved in 10.0% of the patients. Overall local tumor control was 96.0% (mean follow-up period; 37.4 ± 27.2 months). Neither patient age, previous surgery, or the period from the initial diagnosis to RRS showed a dependency on visual acuity before or after radiosurgery. RRS is a safe and effective treatment for the management of ONSM. Hypofractionation of radiosurgery in patients with preserved vision before CK treatment results in stable or improved vision.
Highlights
Optic nerve sheath meningiomas (ONSM) are tumors of the anterior visual pathway, occurring at a rate of approximately 1–2% of all intracranial meningiomas, predominantly affecting middle-aged females [1,2]
The role of robotic radiosurgery (RRS) in the treatment of optic nerve sheath meningiomas (ONSM) remains controversial and it is only performed in specialized institutions due to tight dose constraints
The purpose of this research was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of CK-RRS in the management of our ONSM patient cohort in order to assess the feasibility of RRS as a valuable treatment option
Summary
Optic nerve sheath meningiomas (ONSM) are tumors of the anterior visual pathway, occurring at a rate of approximately 1–2% of all intracranial meningiomas, predominantly affecting middle-aged females [1,2]. Of pathognomonic significance for ONSM is the triad of gradual painless visual loss, atrophy of the optic nerve, and optociliary shunt vessels [3,4]. ONSM are classified as primary or secondary (perioptic), depending on the origin, with the primary type occurring less frequently (1:9) [5,6]. Primary ONSM may spread intracranially within the optic nerve canal and involve the optic chiasm causing bilateral vision defects due to direct extension or by tension and straining of the optic chiasm. The presence of bilateral tumors occurs in about 5–10% of ONSM patients, caused by overgrowth from the opposite side. Some are independent tumors, occasionally associated with neurofibromatosis type 2 [1,2,8,9]
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