The treatment of optic nerve sheath meningioma

Abstract

Optic nerve sheath meningioma is the most common tumor of the optic nerve sheath and its treatment methods are constantly progressing.This paper mainly discusses the progress of the treatment of optic nerve sheath meningiomas referring to the literatures in the past 10 years.The use of radiation treatment programs could effectively improve or maintain the vision; surgical resection could lead to the ipsilateral blindness beacause of the mechanical and ischemic damage to the optic nerve; a conservative observation was appropriate for the patients without vision injury,with minor injury,or with progression-free visual impairment; the effective drug had not yet found for the treatment of optic nerve sheath meningiomas.Therefore,the three-dimensional conformal stereotactic radiation therapy may consider adopting to those with optic nerve sheath meningiomas who need to be treated. Key words: optic nerve sheath meningioma; conformal radiation therapy; surgery; conservative observation