Atypical visual prognosis with an optic nerve glioma

A 13-year-old girl presented with a 1-year history of gradual decline of vision in her right eye. She was diagnosed by clinical examination and computed tomographic scan as having a right optic nerve glioma. While awaiting surgery, she experienced spontaneous improvement of her symptoms. Four years after the onset of symptoms, the Snellen acuity, color testing, and visual fields have returned to normal, while the computed tomographic appearance of the tumor is essentially unchanged. Possible mechanisms for such a fortuitous outcome are discussed.