Congenital Opticmeningoceles

Congenital optic nerve cystic-like malformations associated with normally developed globes are extremely rare. We describe 3 children who presented since birth with proptosis, and eye motility limitation. MRI showed in all cases that the intraorbital segment of the optic nerves was malformed with large cystic-like lesions in the intraconal segment of the orbit. In all cases, biopsies of the wall of the lesions were positive for glial fibrillary acidic protein. Since this protein is a neurobiomarker that exists only in astrocytes in the central nervous system, nonmyelinating Schwann cells of peripheral nerves, and enteric glial cells, we believe that these lesions represent true opticmeningoceles.