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Optic glioma

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Definition:

Gliomas are tumors that grow in various parts of the brain. Optic gliomas can affect:

• One or both of the optic nerves, which carry visual information to the brain from each eye
• The optic chiasm, the area where the optic nerves cross each other in front of the hypothalamus of the brain

An optic glioma may also grow along with a hypothalamic glioma .

Alternative Names:

Glioma - optic; Optic nerve glioma

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Optic gliomas are rare. The cause of optic gliomas is unknown. Most optic gliomas are slow-growing and non-cancerous ( benign ) and occur in children, almost always before age 20.

There is a strong association between optic glioma and neurofibromatosis Type 1 ( NF1 ).

• Review Date: 7/14/2006
• Reviewed By: J.A. Lee, M.D., Division of Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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