Meningioma and the ophthalmologist. A review of 80 cases

We reviewed the charts of all patients with pathologically proven meningiomas who were admitted to the Montreal General Hospital between 1960 and 1977. Of the 80 patients reviewed, we found approximately one third of them had ophthalmological symptoms of which visual loss, field defect, and diplopia were the most common. Most of these patients also had neurological symptoms, but they were often nonspecific. One half of the patients presented with chronic symptomatology such as headache, mental change, and visual loss. One third of the patients presented acutely with seizures, hemiplegia, or dysphasia. Of the investigations done, the angiogram and brain scan were most often diagnostic, while the skull x-ray and EEG were often normal. Meningioma of the sphenoidal ridge, parasellar area, and occiput most often produced visual deficits. In almost one half of these patients, the visual deficit was initially misdiagnosed.