Gamma knife radiosurgery for orbital cavernous hemangioma: a systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis

Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for orbital cavernous hemangioma (OCH) has emerged as a promising method due to its significant clinical improvement and low incidence of complications. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of GKRS for the treatment of OCH.

In accordance with the PRISMA framework, we searched PubMed, Cochrane Central, and Embase for studies reporting outcomes of GKRS for OCH. Studies reporting complications, visual improvement, proptosis, tumor reduction rate, and tumor progression rate for OCH following GKRS were included.

Six studies, out of 1856 search results, with 100 patients were included. Among them, only 5 minor complications were related to GKRS, including 3 with orbital pain and 2 with periorbital chemosis. Thus, the complication rate was 13% (95% CI, 7–25%). Visual acuity and visual field improvement rates after GKRS were 80% (95% CI, 63–96%) and 71% (95% CI, 47–95%) respectively. Proptosis improved in 94% of cases (95% CI, 83–100%). The tumor reduction rate was 77% after GKRS (95% CI, 69–85%).

GKRS for OCH appears to be a safe technique, as evidenced by the rate of clinical improvement and radiological improvement. However, studies are limited by an absence of a control group. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the relative efficacy of GKRS as compared with alternative surgical modalities for OCH.