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Optic Nerve Abnormalities in Morning Glory Disc Anomaly: An MRI Study
Diem-Trang Nguyen1, Nathalie Boddaert, Dominique Bremond-Gignac
1Ophthalmology Department (D-TN, DB-G, MPR), APHP, Necker Enfants Malades University Hospital, Paris, France; Paris Descartes University (D-TN, DB-G, MPR), Sorbonne Paris Cité, France; Necker Enfants Malades University Hospital Pediatric Radiology Department, (NB), APHP, Paris, France; INSERM U1000 (NB), Imagine Institute, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France; CNRS Unit FR33636 (DB-G), Paris Descartes University, Paris, France; and Borelli Center (MPR), UMR 9010, CNRS-SSA-ENS Paris Saclay-Paris University, France.
Morning glory disc anomaly (MGDA) is a rare optic disc malformation. MRI reveals optic nerve abnormalities are common in MGDA, showing varied thickness, suggesting a developmental issue, not glioma.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroradiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Morning glory disc anomaly (MGDA) is a rare congenital optic disc malformation.
- Recent reports suggest an association with optic nerve enlargement, raising concerns about optic nerve gliomas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the optic nerve anatomy in patients with MGDA using MRI.
- To differentiate MGDA-associated optic nerve changes from optic nerve gliomas.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective single-center study of patients diagnosed with MGDA.
- Inclusion of patients with available cerebral and orbital MRI scans from 2008-2018.
- Detailed evaluation of optic nerve anatomy from the optic disc to the chiasm on MRI.
Main Results:
- Nine patients with unilateral MGDA were included; ages ranged from 0.6 to 62 years.
- All MRIs showed posterior globe protrusion (staphyloma) centered by the optic disc.
- Optic nerve abnormalities were present in all patients, with irregular thickness (hypoplasia and hypertrophy) being the most common finding (89%).
Conclusions:
- Optic nerve and chiasm abnormalities are consistently found in MGDA patients.
- The characteristic finding is an irregular optic nerve thickness, indicating a developmental abnormality.
- This pattern helps distinguish MGDA from optic nerve gliomas.
