Purpose: To review the clinical features and outcomes of patients with radiation-induced meningiomas involving the orbit.
Design: Retrospective case series.
Participants: Eight patients with radiation-induced meningiomas affecting the orbit.
Methods: Clinical and pathologic data of the patients were reviewed.
Main outcome measures: Age at diagnosis, mean interval between radiation therapy and meningioma diagnosis, tumor recurrence, histologic atypia, and mean follow-up time after initial diagnosis.
Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 42 years (range, 21 years to 70 years). The mean interval between radiation therapy and meningioma diagnosis was 26 years (range, 3 years to 54 years). All patients underwent gross total resection or subtotal resection of the meningioma. Five tumors (62.5%) recurred, based on clinical findings and CT imaging. The mean interval between resection of the meningioma and recurrence was 3 years (range, 9 months to 9 years). Three patients (37.5%) had atypical meningiomas. One patient (12.5%) had multiple tumors. The mean follow-up interval was 7 years after initial diagnosis of the meningioma (range, 15 months to 19 years).
Conclusions: This series of radiation-induced meningiomas, the first in the ophthalmic literature, illustrates the aggressive nature of this tumor.