Meningioma of the Optic Foramen as a Cause of Slowly Progressive Blindness

Abstract

Meningiomas arising within the confines of the optic foramen are rare. Such tumors are curious since they tend to occur bilaterally and grow at an unusually slow rate. They appear to develop from the clusters of arachnoid cells which are especially abundant along the intra-orbital course of the optic nerve. It is difficult to explain why there should be a predilection for the development of tumors from these cell clusters at the level of the optic foramen. Three additional cases are reported, in which meningiomas of the psammomatous variety were removed surgically from the optic foramen. In 2 of the 3 cases, the tumors were bilateral.