To investigate the influencing factors of visual acuity recovery after anterior clinoid meningiomas (ACMs) surgery.

The clinical data of 63 patients with ACMs who were operated on by the authors from July 1999 to June 2021 were analyzed retrospectively, including visual function and imaging characteristics, surgical records and postoperative visual follow-up results. The degree of tumor resection was evaluated, and the factors affecting the postoperative visual function were analyzed.

In this group, 48 patients (76.2%) underwent Simpson Ⅰ-Ⅱ total resection, and 15 patients (23.8%) underwent Simpson Ⅲ-Ⅳ resection. The overall improvement rate, stability rate and deterioration rate of postoperative visual acuity were 76.2% (48/63), 15.9% (10/63) and 7.9% (5/63), respectively. The results of univariate analysis showed that preoperative visual acuity, tumor classification and whether the optic canal was opened during operation were the influencing factors of postoperative visual function (P<0.05). Postoperative permanent complications occurred in 4 cases, including 2 cases of vision deterioration, 1 case of new hemiplegia and 1 case of partial oculomotor nerve palsy. There were no deaths.

Preoperative evaluation of visual acuity and tumor type is helpful to predict the postoperative visual function level of ACMs patients. Proper selection of indications for opening the optic canal during operation is helpful to improve the postoperative visual acuity.