Transcranial approach for treatment for traumatic optic chiasm syndrome.

To describe the visual outcome of patients with a traumatic optic chiasm syndrome, with and without neurosurgical intervention. The retrospective clinical interventional study included 14 patients, who either underwent a neurosurgical intervention with transcranial decompression of the optic canal (11 patients) in combination with a high-dosage systemic corticosteroid therapy or who received a high-dosage systemic corticosteroid treatment only (3 patients). In the surgical group, visual field improved after surgery in 6 (55%) patients and remained unchanged in 5 (45%) patients, while in none of the patients without surgery, the visual field improved. Neurosurgical decompression of the optic chiasm and optic nerve canal may be associated with a visual improvement in some patients with a traumatic optic chiasm syndrome.