Preoperative and postoperative ophthalmic symptoms in patients with space-occupying lesions of the midbrain and pineal region

Abstract

To identify patterns of neuro-ophthalmic symptoms before and after surgical treatment in patients with space-occupying lesions of the midbrain and pineal region. We analyzed neurological symptoms in 231 patients with space-occupying lesions of the midbrain and pineal region before and after surgical treatment. Malignant tumors were detected in 121 patients; benign tumors were present in 73 patients; 37 patients were diagnosed with pineal gland cysts. Patients with suspicion of germinoma underwent a tumor biopsy only; the other patients underwent tumor resection. Before surgery, oculomotor and pupil disorders were detected in more than half of the (67%) patients; ophthalmoscopic signs of intracranial hypertension were present in 38% of the patients. Neuro-ophthalmic symptoms significantly more often occurred in patients with malignant tumors. Midbrain symptoms were significantly more pronounced in germ cell tumors than in other malignant neoplasms. In the early postoperative period after tumor resection, deterioration of oculomotor and pupillary functions occurred in 46% of cases; there were no changes in 51% of cases; improvement occurred in 3% of cases. After tumor biopsy, symptoms in all patients with germinomas remained at the preoperative level. Developed symptoms partially regressed in the long-term period, and finally, only 29% of patients had deterioration of oculomotor and pupillary functions compared to the preoperative level.