Childhood chiasmal gliomas. Update on the fate of patients in the 1969 San Francisco Study.

We review the current status of 28 patients with chiasmal glioma who were originally reported on by Hoyt and Baghdassarian in 1969. The median period of follow-up was 20 years. Sixteen patients are now dead, five from chiasmal glioma and the rest from other causes. Four of the five deaths from chiasmal glioma occurred before 1969. The mortality rate in patients with neurofibromatosis and those without neurofibromatosis was essentially the same. Nine of 16 patients with neurofibromatosis are dead, two from chiasmal glioma, one from aspiration, and six from another tumour. Seven of 12 patients without neurofibromatosis are dead, three from chiasmal glioma, two from an operation on their tumour, and two from a medical illness. In general the quality of life of the surviving patients is good; none reported having a noticeable decrease in vision since 1969.