Longitudinal assessment of childhood optic gliomas: Relationship between brain imaging and optic pathway function

2087 Background: To evaluate longitudinally the relationship between brain imaging and functional findings in childhood optic gliomas (OG) by comparing over time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with flicker visual evoked potential (FVEP) changes. Methods: Fourteen children (median age 3 yrs, range: 2–7) suffering from OGs involving chiasm and retro-chiasmatic visual pathways underwent serial MRI and FVEP examinations over a median follow-up time of 38 months (range 12–76). FVEPs were monocularly recorded in response to 8 Hz sine-wave flicker stimuli presented in a mini-Ganzfeld according to a published technique (Trisciuzzi et al., Clin. Neurophysiol., 2004). MRI examinations were performed according to standard procedures. Longitudinal results of both tests were examined in a blind fashion by independent evaluators. FVEPs were judged to be improved, stable or worsened if changes in the amplitude and/or phase of the fundamental response component exceeded the limits of test-retest variability (±90th perc...