Misdiagnosed optochiasmatic cavernous angioma: a case report and literature review

We present a rare case of optochiasmatic cavernous angioma (CA) misdiagnosed as teratoma prior to surgery. A 28-year-old male patient presented with progressive loss of visual acuity and headache. Neuroophthalmologic examination revealed left homonymous hemianopsia and decreased visual acuity (right eye 0.6, left eye 0.7). A total resection operation of the lesion was performed via the pterional approach. Pathological examination indicated optochiasmatic CA, also called hemangioma. As shown in our case, optochiasmatic CA may be misdiagnosed due to atypical imaging characteristics. Optochiasmatic CA is a benign brain tumor that may cause severe neurological deficit, such as loss of visual acuity or other cranial nerve damage. The correct diagnosis and complete surgical removal are the treatment of choice for optochiasmatic CA.