Hostname: page-component-6766d58669-r8qmj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-24T22:05:02.945Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Adult nasal glioma presenting with visual loss

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 February 2010

A Majithia ,
S H Liyanage ,
R Hewitt  and
W E Grant
A Majithia*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK
S H Liyanage
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, Barts and The Royal London NHS Trust, London, UK
R Hewitt
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK
W E Grant
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Charing Cross Hospital, London, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Mr A Majithia, 1 Stonecroft, Hyde Heath, Amersham HP6 5RF, UK. E-mail: anoojmajithia@hotmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives:

We report a rare case of a nasal glioma found incidentally in an adult, presenting with visual loss, optic nerve oedema and proptosis.

Case report:

A 41-year-old woman presented with bilateral proptosis, impairment in visual acuity (6/60 bilaterally) and loss of colour vision. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed proptosis, bilateral optic nerve swelling and a heterogeneous mass occupying the left nasal cavity and extending through a skull base defect into the anterior cranial fossa. Biopsy confirmed a nasal glioma. Treatment with intravenous dexamethasone resolved the proptosis, and the patient's visual acuity recovered to 6/9 bilaterally. At the multidisciplinary team meeting, it was felt that the nasal glioma probably represented an incidental finding and was not directly responsible for the patient's proptosis and transient visual loss.

Conclusion:

To our knowledge, this is the first report in the English language literature of adult nasal glioma presenting with visual loss. The management of nasal gliomas in adults is contentious and the relevant literature is reviewed. This case was managed conservatively with regular follow up.

Keywords

Nasal GliomaNasal Glial HeterotopiaProptosisVisual Disturbance

Information

Type
Clinical Records
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 124 , Issue 12 , December 2010 , pp. 1309 - 1313
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

1Younus, M, Coode, PE. Nasal glioma and encephalocoele: two separate entities. J Neurosurg 1986;64:516–19CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Ried, F. About congenital brain tissue in the area of the forehead and nose [in German]. Illustierte Medizinische Zeitung 1852;1:133–41Google Scholar
3Schmidt, MB. About rare defects in the area of the central root of the nose [in German]. Virchows Arch Pathol Anat Physiol 1900;162:340–70CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Hughes, G, Sharpino, G, Hunt, W, Tucker, H. Management of the congenital midline nasal mass: a review. Head Neck Surg 1980;2:222–33CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Rouev, P, Dimov, P, Shomov, G. A case of nasal glioma in new-born infant. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2001;58:91–4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6Katz, A, Lewis, JS. Nasal gliomas. Arch Otolaryngol 1971;94:351–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7Karma, P, Rasanen, O, Karaja, J. Nasal gliomas. A review and report of two cases. Laryngoscope 1976;87:1169–79CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Bradley, PJ, Singh, SD. Nasal glioma. J Laryngol Otol 1985;99:247–52CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Rahbar, R, Resto, VA, Robson, CD, Perez-Atayde, AR, Goumnerova, LC, McGill, TJ et al. Nasal glioma and encephalocele: diagnosis and management. Laryngoscope 2003;113:2069–77CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Jartti, PH, Jartti, AE, Karttunen, AI, Paakko, EL, Herva, RL, Pirila, TO. MR of a nasal glioma in a young infant. Acta Radiol 2002;43:141–3Google Scholar
11Smith, KR, Schwartz, HG, Luse, SA, Ogura, JH. Nasal gliomas: a report of five cases with electron microscopy of one. J Neurosurg 1963;20:968–82CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12Jain, RK, Shukla, PK, Aryya, NC, Srivastava, A, Kumar, S. Nasal glioma presenting as blindness in an adult. Ann Ophthalmol 2001;33:67–9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13Yeoh, GP, Bale, PM, De Silva, M. Nasal cerebral heterotopia: the so-called nasal glioma or sequestered encephalocoele and its variants. Pediatr Pathol 1989;9:531–49CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14Patterson, K, Kapur, S, Chandra, RS. ‘Nasal gliomas’ and related brain heterotopias: a pathologist's perspective. Pediatr Pathol 1986;5:353–62CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15Ogura, JH, Schenck, NL. Unusual nasal tumours. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 1973;6:813–37CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16Pollard, K, Carter, DA. A case of nasal glioma and neurofibromatosis. J Laryngol Otol 1987;101:497–9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Pasquini, E, Farneti, G, Giausa, G, Biavati, M. A rare case of nasal glioma in adult age. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1998;118:905–6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18Ducic, Y. Nasal gliomas. J Otolaryngol 1999;28:285–7Google ScholarPubMed
19Iodice, S. Neurogenic tumours of the nose [in Italian]. Archivii Italiani di Laringologia 1958;66:419–35Google Scholar
20Chau, HN, Hopkins, C, McGilligan, A. A rare case of nasal glioma in the sphenoid sinus of an adult presenting with meningoencephalitis. Eur Arch Otolaryngol 2005;262:592–4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21Luyendijk, W. Intranasal encephalocoeles. Psychiatr Neurol Neurochir 1969;72:77–87Google Scholar