Optical coherence tomography as a marker of vision in children with optic pathway gliomas

Optic pathway gliomas (OPG) represent an important cause of visual loss in pediatric population. The indication of treatment is based on clinical or neuroimaging progression. Visual acuity loss is the most important symptom of disease progression, but children with OPG are frequently unable to complete the testing of visual function. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was suggested as an objective tool for visual assessment. A literature review was performed in order to determine the role of retinal OCT as a surrogate marker of vision in children with OPG. The search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases and was restricted to articles published in English between 2000 and 2016, with a minimum of ten participants enrolled. Eleven studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the present review. Both neurofibromatosis-1 associated and sporadic OPG were investigated. Retinal OCT is a promising tool to be considered as a screening or follow-up test in children with OPG, and further multicenter research is encouraged.