Tumors of the optic nerve and its sheath

The tumors of the optic nerve may arise from the nerve itself or from its sheath. Benign gliomas and meningiomas are the most frequent types, whereas other histological types are exceptional. Benign tumors cause slowly progressive visual loss and variable proptosis. The radiological diagnosis is rather easy for gliomas and meningiomas. The observation is justified in patients with preserved or stable vision. The surgery is often delayed because of the significant risk of visual worsening. Pediatric benign gliomas often respond to chemotherapy. Patients with optic nerve sheath meningiomas may be treated by stereotactic radiosurgery. However, the visual prognosis is more often poor. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.