Microsurgical resection of a cavernous angioma that involves the optic pathway using a pterional approach: a case report and literature review.

Cavernous angiomas affecting the optic pathway are rare. This report describes the case of a 12-year-old girl who presented with a 10-month history of right-sided blurred vision caused by a cavernous angioma affecting the right side of the optic chiasm. The computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated a hyperdense image with calcifications. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a sellar mass with uneven isointensities and hyperintensities, while T2-weighted showing a heterogeneous signal, which was initially misdiagnosed as a craniopharyngioma. The patient underwent complete resection of the mass using a pterional approach, which rapidly decompresses and protects the optic nerve function, rather than conservative treatment or cranial irradiation. Postoperative histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of a cavernous angioma.