Objective To observe the clinical and imaging features of infiltrative optic neuropathy (ION) secondary to extraocular malignant tumors. Methods A retrospective case study. From January 2017 to October 2022, 26 eyes of 20 patients with ION secondary to extraocular malignancies and 32 eyes of 16 patients with early papilloedema (EP) secondary to intracranial metastatic carcinoma were included in the study. All eyes underwent best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus color photography, orbital and/or craniocerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A total of 54 eyes were examined by visual field examination, among which ION and EP were 22 and 32 eyes, respectively. Clinical and imaging features of the affected eye were retrospectively analyzed. Results Among 26 eyes of 20 ION patients, there were 13 males and 7 females, with the mean age of (52.8±16.9) years. There were 10 patients of hematologic malignancy, 7 patients of periorbital malignancy, 2 patients of lung cancer, 1 patient of gastric cancer, 1 patient of breast cancer and 1 patient of prostate cancer. Two patients of nasal lymphoma were recorded as hematologic malignancies and periorbital malignancies. Sixteen patients had a history of systemic or periorbital malignancy, among which 4 patients reported that they had been "clinically cured". Optic neuritis was diagnosed in 15 patients. Among the 16 patients with EP, 5 were males and 11 were females, with the mean age of (47.9±12.3) years. The primary malignant tumors were lung cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, gastric cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer and rectal cancer in 7, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, respectively. In 26 eyes of ION, 20 eyes complained of blurred vision or peripheral vision occlusion and progressive aggravation; no obvious visual symptoms in 6 eyes. BCVA was light sensing to 1.0 with a median of 0.3, including light sensing and light sensing in 4 eyes. Optic disc edema was observed in 19 eyes; no obvious abnormality in 7 eyes. Visual field examination showed that in 22 eyes, normal or mild enlargement of blind spot in 3 eyes, arcuate scotoma in 4 eyes, annular scotoma in 6 eyes, tubular visual field or concentric contraction of visual field in 6 eyes, and diffuse depression in 3 eyes. MRI showed optic nerve enlargement with sheath enhancement in all ION eyes. Among 32 eyes of EP, 28 eyes showed recurrent transient amaurosis, and the other 4 eyes showed horizontal diplopia. BCVA ranged from 0.8 to 1.5, with a median of 1.0. All EP patients showed different degrees of optic disc hyperemia and edema by fundus examination. The visual field examination showed normal or mild enlargement of the physiological blind spot. MRI showed thickening of the optic nerve and widening of the intrathecal space, but no obvious enhancement of the optic nerve and its intrathecal membrane, and obviously enhanced space-occupying lesions in the brain parenchyma, accompanied by compression and edema of the surrounding brain tissue and midline displacement. Conclusions ION secondary to extrocular malignant tumors mainly manifested as mild visual symptoms and obvious optic disc edema. MRI showed thickened optic nerve and strengthened sheath, and no obvious abnormality in optic nerve parenchyma.

Citation： Sun Chuanbin, Ma Zhiqiong. Clinical and imaging features of infiltrative optic neuropathy secondary to extraocular malignant tumors. Chinese Journal of Ocular Fundus Diseases, 2023, 39(6): 476-482. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.cn511434-20221116-00613 Copy