Radionecrosis of optico-hypothalamic glioma

Abstract

The authors report an instance of delayed radionecrosis of the chiasm in a ten-year-old girl, following radiotherapy of an optico-hypothalamic glioma, to our knowledge the first such documented case. Review of the literature of reported cases of delayed radionecrosis involving the visual pathways reveals that the time interval from completion of radiotherapy to visual loss is commonly much shorter (five to 13 months) than previously believed. The controversial issues surrounding the natural history of childhood gliomas and the role of radiotherapy are discussed and analyzed to determine more accurately the risk/benefit ratio of radiotherapy for optic gliomas.

Key Words:

• optic glioma
• radiotherapy
• radionecrosis