A 56-year-old woman consulted because of blindness and headache. She first noted blurring of vision 3 years ago but was not able to consult because she lived in the remote mountains. Her vision worsened until she became blind 2 months ago. She also complained of inability to smell, as well as headache that became worse in the past 2 months. On examination, she was blind and had no light perception. She was unable to smell coffee on testing. She also had forgetfulness and personality change, according to her family. 

Brain MRI showed a very large tumor at the frontal area of the brain, compressing the brain as well as the nerves responsible for sight and smell. 

The patient underwent surgery to remove the tumor. The surgery went well, and the patient went home after a few days. The biopsy result was a meningioma, a type of benign brain tumor. To the surgeon’s great surprise, the patient was able to see and count fingers when she followed up after 1 year. This case shows that it is still possible to regain function in certain cases, and that the ability of the nervous system to recover is amazing.