Optic glioma with characteristic bilateral optic atrophy in a 3-year-old girl

We report a case of optic glioma with bilateral optic atrophy. A 3-year-old girl presented with vomiting and left hemiparesis. She had hypothalamic dysfunction, right ptosis, right monocular nystagmus, left facial palsy, left hemiparesis, and left pes adductus. Neuroimaging studies showed obstructive hydrocephalus with a large suprasellar calcified tumor with a ring-like enhancement mimicking craniopharyngioma. Visual-evoked potentials showed delayed latency of N-75 in the right occipital lead. The tumor, a pilocytic astrocytoma in the right optic tract and chiasma, was partially removed via a right frontotemporal craniotomy. The right optic nerve had shrunk to half the normal diameter and became twisted downwardly. Intracranial pressure (ICP) increased to 40 cm H2O. The fundus had bilateral optic atrophy without disc swelling. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a lamina/dot sign of the optic disc in a small child with a brain tumor and a normal neuroretinal fiber layer. These ocular findings may result from possible interruption of the axonal flow caused by the tumor and not increased ICP. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.