Risk of optic pathway glioma in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 and optic nerve tortuosity or nerve sheath thickening.

Background/aims: Optic nerve tortuosity and nerve and sheath thickening are observed on MRI in some patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1). This study aimed to determine if tortuosity and thickening are associated with the development of optic pathway glioma (OPG) and subsequent vision loss.

Methods: Children with NF-1 who underwent brain MRI between 1992 and 2005, and had at least 1 year of subsequent visual acuity (VA) follow-up, were identified retrospectively.