Objective To determine the efficacy of endoscopic optic nerve decompression for the treatment of patients with nontraumatic optic neuropathy.
Design Retrospective case series.
Setting Academic medical center.
Patients Ten optic nerve decompressions were performed on 7 patients with nontraumatic optic neuropathy caused by various pathologic entities, including meningioma, lymphangioma, fibro-osseous lesions (fibrous dysplasia and osteoma), mucopyocele, and Graves orbitopathy.
Interventions Endoscopic instrumentation was used in a transnasal fashion to decompress the optic nerve.
Main Outcome Measures Visual acuity and complication rates.
Results Mean visual acuity improved from 20/300 preoperatively to 20/30 after surgery. Visual acuity improved by at least 2 lines on the Snellen chart following 7 of the 10 decompressions. Median operative time was 133 minutes, and median length of stay was less than 24 hours. Complications were limited to postoperative hyponatremia and corneal abrasions, both of which resolved with conservative therapy. Mean follow-up time was 6.1 months.
Conclusion Endoscopic optic nerve decompression appears to be an effective treatment for restoring visual acuity in select patients who present with compressive optic neuropathy.
