About Optic Nerve Glioma

General Information

• Optic nerve glioma is a type of juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma (Grade 1 astrocytoma), which occurs more commonly in children and young adults. They also have a more favorable prognosis compared with all other astrocytoma types.
• The most common site of juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas is the cerebellum.

Symptom

• The most common symptoms are headache, nausea, vomiting, poor balance, and visual complaints, depending on the tumor site. Many symptoms may be due to hydrocephalus.

Diagnosis

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred imaging technique for diagnosis.
• For surgical planning, mapping of critical speech and motor brain regions that may be adjacent to the tumor may be necessary. Such mapping is performed at the world-renowned UCLA Brain Mapping Center.
• An actual tissue biopsy is typically required for definitive diagnosis in nearly all cases. If the tumor is inaccessible to open surgery, precisely guided (stereotactic) needle biopsies can be performed.

Treatment

• Your UCLA neurosurgeon will determine with you how much of the tumor can or should be removed.
  • If the tumor is surgically accessible, a "complete" removal is attempted. This can be curative.
  • In cases in which the tumor cannot be removed, a conservative, non-operative approach is recommended.
• Often, juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas are best removed with the aid of intra-operative MRI, allowing the most complete, safest surgery possible.