Multisession CyberKnife radiosurgery for optic nerve sheath meningiomas

Abstract

Optic nerve sheath meningiomas (ONSMs) are benign lesions originating from the dural sheath of the optic nerve. Progressive growth can lead to gradual loss of vision and exophthalmos. Loss of vision following microsurgical resection is not uncommon, and although stereotactic fractionated radiotherapy can be a safe alternative to control tumor growth and preserve vision, it may also lead to complications. Frame-based stereotactic radiosurgery has only been rarely used because single-fraction high-dose treatments of intrinsic optic nerve lesions may induce unacceptably high toxicity. New frameless radiosurgery devices such as the robotic CyberKnife, an image-guided radiosurgery system, can provide the extremely tight conformality and submillimetric accuracy of frame-based systems combined with the possibility of delivering radiation in several sessions. In the present report the authors review the clinical presentation and management of ONSMs and describe their preliminary experience using multisession radiosurgery to treat these lesions.