Retrobulbar Hemangioblastomas in von Hippel-Lindau Disease: Clinical Course and Management

Retrobulbar hemangioblastomas involving the optic apparatus in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) are rare, with only 25 reported cases in the literature.

To analyze the natural history of retrobulbar hemangioblastomas in a large cohort of VHL patients in order to define presentation, progression, and management.

Clinical history and imaging of 250 patients with VHL in an ongoing natural history trial and 1774 patients in a neurosurgical protocol were reviewed. The clinical course, magnetic resonance images, treatment, and outcomes were reviewed for all included patients.

A total of 18 patients with retrobulbar hemangioblastoma on surveillance magnetic resonance imaging met the inclusion criteria for this study. Of the 17 for whom clinical information was available, 10 patients presented with symptoms related to the hemangioblastoma, and 7 were asymptomatic. The mean tumor volume was larger for symptomatic (810.6 ± 545.5 mm3) compared to asymptomatic patients (307.6 ± 245.5 mm3; P < .05). A total of 5 of the symptomatic patients were treated surgically and all experienced improvement in their symptoms. All 3 symptomatic patients that did not undergo intervention had continued symptom progression. Long-term serial imaging on asymptomatic patients showed that these tumors can remain radiographically stable and asymptomatic for extended periods of time (101.43 ± 71 mo).

This study suggests that retrobulbar hemangioblastomas may remain stable and clinically asymptomatic for long durations. Recent growth and larger tumor volume were associated with symptom occurrence. Surgical treatment of symptomatic retrobulbar hemangioblastomas can be safe and may reverse the associated symptoms.