Skull Base 2005; 15(4): 281-287
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-921935
CASE REPORT

Copyright © 2005 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Carcinoma of the Breast Metastatic to the Optic Nerve Mimicking an Optic Nerve Sheath Meningioma: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Benjamin Fox1 , Paulette Pacheco2 , Franco DeMonte3
  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
  • 2University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, School of Medicine, San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • 3Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
08 November 2005 (online)

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ABSTRACT

Isolated metastatic tumors to the optic nerve are extremely rare. We describe a rare and unusual case of metastatic breast carcinoma to the optic nerve that mimicked an optic nerve sheath meningioma in its presentation due to its indolent symptom progression, initial radiological appearance, and minimal growth on serial imaging. The patient, a 46-year-old woman with a history of stable metastatic breast carcinoma, presented with progressive visual loss in her right eye over a 6-month interval. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an enhancing lesion in the optic canal with an extension to the right anterior clinoid process and planum sphenoidale and into the right orbital apex, consistent with the presumptive diagnosis of optic nerve sheath meningioma. The tumor was resected and pathologically confirmed to be metastatic carcinoma of the breast. The clinical course, radiological features, surgical approach, and treatment strategies are reviewed.

REFERENCES

Franco DeMonteM.D. 

Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

1515 Holcombe Blvd., Box 0442, Houston, TX 77030

Email: fdemonte@mdanderson.org