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Delayed diagnosis of retinoblastoma: analysis of degree, cause, and potential consequences.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the degree, cause, and consequence of delays from presenting signs to diagnosis of retinoblastoma. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 64 consecutive patients who presented to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center with newly diagnosed retinoblastoma. Seven patients with a positive family history were excluded. RESULTS: The median times from presenting signs to diagnosis for patients with unilateral and bilateral disease were 1.5 and 2.25 months (range: 0--46), respectively; for those who presented with leukocoria and strabismus, median times were 1.5 (range: 0--46) and 2.5 months (range: 0--24). Parents noted the first signs in 75% of the cases. Seventy-seven percent delayed seeking treatment, and primary care physicians (PCPs) delayed referral in 30%. Only 3 patients were referred from PCPs solely for physical examination findings. No adverse consequence of delayed diagnosis could be established clearly, but a trend toward eye loss being associated with longer delays in patients with bilateral retinoblastoma was noted. CONCLUSION: Leukocoria and strabismus secondary to retinoblastoma are usually first recognized by relatives rather than PCPs. At routine visits, PCPs should inform parents about the importance of reporting eye abnormalities, and children whose parents complain of leukocoria (white, shiny, jello-like eye) should be referred promptly to an ophthalmologist regardless of whether an absent red reflex is appreciated.

Child↗

Shorter time to diagnosis and improved stage at presentation in Swiss patients with retinoblastoma treated from 1963 to 2004.

OBJECTIVES: Retinoblastoma is the most frequent intraocular malignancy in children. Early diagnosis is essential for globe salvage and patient survival. The aim of our study was to determine how time to diagnosis of retinoblastoma has evolved over a 40-year period in Switzerland. METHOD AND PATIENTS: A retrospective study of 139 Swiss patients with retinoblastoma was performed comparing 3 periods: (1) 1963-1983; (2) 1984-1993; and (3) 1994-2004. Factors taken into account were gender, laterality of retinoblastoma, age at first symptoms, type and first observer of symptoms, time to diagnosis, age at diagnosis, disease stage, and family history. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients (26.6%) were treated in period 1, 44 (31.7%) in period 2, and 58 (41.7%) in period 3. Overall, the diagnostic interval decreased in a significant way from 6.97 months in period 1 to 3.58 in period 2 and to 2.25 in period 3. When looking separately at unilateral and bilateral disease, the decrease of the diagnostic interval remained statistically significant in unilateral retinoblastoma; there was also a significant reduction in the number of patients with advanced group E disease (Murphree classification) (61.5% in period 1, 46.7% in period 2, 22.2% in period 3). In bilateral disease, the same observations were made to a lesser extent. However, there were no cases with group E disease in 10 patients with positive family history. Leukocoria (48.2%) and strabismus (20.1%) were the 2 most frequent symptoms throughout the 3 periods. The only factors that statistically influenced the chances of having a diagnosis of group E disease were the diagnostic interval and period of diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Progress has been made in the diagnosis of retinoblastoma in Switzerland, notably in unilateral disease. Improvement to a lesser extent has also been observed in bilateral cases but without statistical significance. Greater effort is needed to teach physicians-in-training to recognize the importance of ocular symptoms and refer patients earlier.

Child, Preschool↗

Retinoblastoma: problems and perspectives from India.

This study examined the salient clinical and epidemiological characteristics of retinoblastoma (RB) in India, thereby highlighting the problems encountered there. The epidemiological characteristics of 296 patients with RB over 8 years were evaluated using hospital records and postal follow-ups. Unilateral disease was seen in 61.8% of patients. The overall median age at presentation was 3.5 years (3.5 years for unilateral RB and 1.0 years for bilateral RB). The male/female ratio was 1.4:1. The median duration of symptomatic disease was 8 months. Consanguineous marriage was seen in 17% and family history of RB was noted in 1.7% cases. Also, 2% had a history of other malignancy in the family. Associated congenital malformation was seen in 10.5% of cases. A second malignancy was seen in 0.67% of cases at a mean duration of 4.5 years after completion of therapy. A predominance of advanced-stage disease (74.5% had Reese-Ellsworth group IV and V disease) was seen in our series. Only 43.6% of patients had disease localized to the globe without any infiltration/invasion. The majority of cases had advanced-stage disease at presentation and came from the underprivileged class of society. Patients with bilateral RB presented much earlier than those with unilateral disease. In patients with unilateral RB, higher age at presentation as well as advanced disease may be related to much delay in seeking medical attention. In view of the advanced stage at presentation, there also exist a possibility of difference in the biology of the tumor seen in these patients.

Child↗

Systematic review of effectiveness of different treatments for childhood retinoblastoma.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical effectiveness of treatments for childhood retinoblastoma. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases were searched from inception to April 2004. REVIEW METHODS: Studies of participants diagnosed with childhood retinoblastoma, any interventions and all clinical outcomes were eligible for inclusion. Randomised and non-randomised controlled trials and cohort studies with clear comparisons between treatment groups were included. Methodological quality was assessed. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Where possible, studies assessing common interventions were grouped together, with prospective and retrospective studies grouped separately. Emphasis was placed on prospective studies. RESULTS: Thirty-one individual studies, from 42 publications, were included in the review. Apart from one non-randomised controlled trial, only comparative studies of observational design were available for any of the treatments. Four of the included studies were prospective and the remaining 27 were retrospective. Most of the studies were of radiotherapy or chemotherapy, with few studies available on enucleation or focal treatments such as brachytherapy, photocoagulation, cryotherapy and thermotherapy. The methodological quality was generally poor, with a high risk of bias in all included studies. The main problems were in relation to how treatment was allocated and lack of consideration of potentially confounding factors, such as initial disease severity, in the study design and data analysis. The evidence base for effectiveness of treatments for childhood retinoblastoma is extremely limited. Owing to the considerable limitations of the evidence identified, it was not possible to make meaningful and robust conclusions about the relative effectiveness of different treatment approaches for childhood retinoblastoma. CONCLUSIONS: In the authors' opinion, the evidence base for the effectiveness of treatments for childhood retinoblastoma is not sufficiently robust to provide clear guidance for clinical practice. Ideally, good-quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effectiveness of different treatment options for childhood retinoblastoma are required. Research is required on all the treatments currently used for this condition. Where RCTs are not feasible, for ethical or practical reasons, only high-quality, prospective, non-randomised studies should be given consideration, owing to the generally higher risk of bias in retrospective studies. To reduce the risk of confounding due to allocation by clinical indication, studies should compare patients with similar disease severity rather than compare patients of mixed disease severities. Standardised outcomes should be agreed for use in studies assessing the effectiveness of treatment. These outcomes should encompass potential important adverse effects of treatment such as loss of visual acuity and cosmetic outcome, as well as beneficial effects.

Adolescent↗

Clinical result of prolonged primary chemotherapy in retinoblastoma patients.

This study evaluated the effects of prolonged primary chemotherapy in retinoblastoma. The data for 27 eyes in 22 children who were treated for retinoblastoma with up to 13 cycles of primary chemotherapy was reviewed. The chemotherapy consisted of etoposide, vincristine, and either carboplatin or ifosfamide. In bilateral retinoblastoma, 1 eye was in each Ia, Ib, and Va, according to the Reese-Ellsworth classification, 2 in each IIa, IIIa, and IIIb, 4 in IIb, and 5 in IVa. Enucleation was performed in I in IIa and 1 in Va. In unilateral, 1 was in each IIa, IIIa, IVa, IVb, and Vb, and 4 in Va. Enucleation was performed in 8 with the exception of 1 in IIa. Complete regression was observed in 17 eyes (12 patients). There was no toxicity severe enough to delay treatment. Prolonged primary chemotherapy can be considered as an alternative treatment for retinoblastoma in III or less.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Chemoreduction followed by local therapy and adjuvant chemotherapy for advanced intraocular retinoblastoma: a pilot study in a single center.

Intraocular (IO) retinoblastoma (RB) has traditionally been treated with enucleation (ENU) or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). Recently, clinical trials are in progress to cure RB without ENU or EBRT in order to salvage the globe and to avoid unacceptable side effects of EBRT. We performed a pilot study to treat patients with advanced Reese-Ellsworth (RE) stage IO RB with initial chemotherapy (CRx) followed by local therapy (LT) and adjuvant CRx. Ten eyes (8 RE group V, 2 RE group IV) from 9 patients were enrolled from March 2001 to November 2001. All tumors responded to CRx. In 5 of 10 eyes, the RB was enough to be treated with LT after chemoreduction. One patient who underwent LT is waiting for ENU due to post-cryotherapy complication. For a median follow-up of 13 months (8-16 mo), 4 eyes that received LT and adjuvant CRx were relapse-free. A patient with bilateral RB who failed to be a candidate for LT was rescued with high-dose CRx and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Consequently, by treating patients according to our strategy, we were able to salvage 6 out of 10 eyes without ENU or EBRT. These results suggest that chemoreduction followed by LT and adjuvant CRx might offer the opportunity to salvage the globe and vision even in patients with advanced stage IO RB.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Astrocytic hamartoma in tuberous sclerosis mimicking necrotizing retinochoroiditis.

A pale, elevated peripapillary lesion discovered in a young child with no family history of phakomatoses, grew larger, caused vitreous hemorrhage and underwent necrosis. Secondary inflammation developed in the eye, finally producing rubeosis irides with elevated intraocular pressure and a blind, painful eye which required enucleation. Clinically, the lesion was variably diagnosed and treated as toxoplasmosis and toxocara canis. These diagnoses were made despite low titres, a negative ELISA test and a normal eosinophil count. On histopathologic examination, a diagnosis of toxocara canis was entertained, although no remnants of the organism could be found in serial sections. Years later, when a family history of tuberous sclerosis became apparent, a diagnosis of astrocytic hamartoma of the retina with secondary hemorrhage and inflammation was made on the basis of re-examination of the pathologic specimen and special stains.

Adult↗

Tuberous sclerosis in infancy.

PURPOSE: To report two infants with tuberous sclerosis who initially were considered to have retinoblastoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An 8-day-old infant was referred with small tumors in the posterior poles of both eyes. A left microphthalmos with ciliochoroidal coloboma was present. Computed tomographic (CT) scanning of the brain showed scattered high-density subependymal foci in the lateral ventricle thought to be consistent with calcification resulting from intrauterine viral infection. Argon laser photocoagulation was applied to lesions in the right eye. Because one tumor was situated on the retina straddling the coloboma in the left eye, external beam radiotherapy was administered. A 5-month-old girl presented with a large mass in a left microphthalmic eye. Calcification was present on B-scan ultrasonography and CT scanning. Vitreous seeding was noted to originate from the tumor. The contralateral eye manifested four small gray translucent retinal tumors in the posterior pole. CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multiple periventricular subependymal lesions, including one at the foramen of Monro. RESULTS: Repeated examinations in the younger child under anesthesia revealed small new retinal lesions that appeared to enlarge gradually. She developed intractable seizures and her electroencephalogram revealed a modified hypsarrhythmia recording. A careful review of available CT scans and MRI displays suggested the diagnosis of tuberous sclerosis. The child's most recent examination under anesthesia revealed multiple newly developed hamartomas. In the older child, prompt diagnosis was made on the basis of the intracranial radiologic findings. CONCLUSION: Retinal hamartoma presentation may vary in infancy. Small, initially fleck-like gliotic lesions appear to enlarge gradually and eventually may form gray, translucent tumors. Large astrocytic hamartomas of the retina associated with tuberous sclerosis may resemble retinoblastoma, particularly if the mass is large, calcified, and associated with vitreous seeding. Although ophthalmic presentation was reminiscent of retinoblastoma in both patients, radiologic evidence of subependymal hamartomas pathognomic for tuberous sclerosis helped establish the correct diagnosis. We stress the importance of intracranial radiologic findings in this regard.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

Recent developments in the management of retinoblastoma.

The management of retinoblastoma has gradually changed over the past few decades. There is a trend away from enucleation and external beam radiotherapy toward focal conservative treatments. This is primarily because of earlier detection of the disease and more focused treatment modalities. Enucleation is still employed for retinoblastoma that fills most of the eye, especially when there is a concern for tumor invasion into the optic nerve or choroid. After enucleation, an integrated orbital implant, provides improved motility and appearance of the prosthesis. External beam radiotherapy continues to be an important method of treating less advanced retinoblastoma, especially when there is diffuse vitreous or subretinal seeding. Plaque radiotherapy is useful for controlling small- to medium-sized retinoblastomas, even those with focal vitreous seeds. Tumors that recur after failure of other methods are often suitable for plaque treatment. When plaque radiotherapy is employed in a child receiving chemotherapy, eventual radiation retinopathy can occur. Cryotherapy and photocoagulation provide excellent control of selected small tumors. Advanced laser delivery systems, particularly those that have been adapted to the indirect ophthalmoscope, have facilitated the visualization for treatment of tumors. Thermotherapy is the newest focal method for retinoblastoma. When combined with chemotherapy, thermotherapy provides satisfactory tumor control, leaving the child with a reasonably small scar, thus preserving more vision. Chemoreduction, using intravenous or subconjunctival routes, is often employed to reduce initial tumor volume and thus allow for focal treatment to eradicate the residual smaller tumor. Many children with advanced retinoblastoma can be spared external beam radiotherapy and enucleation mostly as a result of chemoreduction and focal methods. Chemoreduction combined with cryotherapy, thermotherapy, and plaque radiotherapy plays an important role in the current management of many children with retinoblastoma.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Incidence and survival characteristics of retinoblastoma in Singapore from 1968-1995.

PURPOSE: To describe the incidence and survival of 69 Singapore residents with retinoblastoma in all Singapore hospitals from 1968-1995. METHODS: Data of all Singapore residents diagnosed with retinoblastoma from 1968-1995 were collected by the Singapore Cancer Registry based on notifications from physicians, pathology records, hospital discharge records, and death certificates. The medical records of 46 patients were traced, and information on laterality of tumor, spread of tumor, mode of treatment, and family history of retinoblastoma was obtained. Time trends and survival characteristics of the cohort were described. RESULTS: The incidence rate of retinoblastoma was 2.4 per 1 million for children <9 years and 11.1 per 1 million for children <5 years. The incidence of retinoblastoma has been almost uniform over time from 1968-1995, except for an apparent increase in 1988-1992. The 3-year survival rate for retinoblastoma was 83%. Survival rates were higher in children <2 years because children who present at a younger age may have tumors diagnosed at earlier stages of the disease. There was no difference in survival rates for sex, race, laterality, family history of retinoblastoma, treatment, or year of diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Retinoblastoma is the most common eye cancer in children that may cause blindness or death. The incidence rates of retinoblastoma in Singapore have remained fairly stable over 28 years, and the survival rate is higher in younger children. This study will be helpful in monitoring future disease patterns in Asian populations.

Child↗

Echography of retinoblastoma: histopathologic correlation and serial evaluation after globe-conserving radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: To assess the sensitivity of echography in detecting retinoblastoma, compare tumor features observed by echography with histopathology data, and assess the usefulness of echography in serially following retinoblastoma tumors after globe-conserving treatments. METHODS: The medical and echography records of all patients treated for retinoblastoma at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute between 1991 and 1997 were reviewed. All eyes underwent pretreatment echographic evaluation, and eyes treated with external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, or chemotherapy underwent serial follow-up echography. RESULTS: Sixty-nine eyes of 48 patients were identified. Echography demonstrated evidence of retinoblastoma in 69 of 69 (100%) eyes and calcification in 63 (91.3%) eyes. Histopathology was superior to echography in detecting optic nerve invasion, extraocular extension, and presence of calcification. CONCLUSION: Echography is a useful adjunct to indirect ophthalmoscopy in establishing the diagnosis of retinoblastoma. While not as specific as histopathology, echographic evaluation before and after treatment of retinoblastoma permits monitoring of treatment response and may aid in detecting recurrent tumor growth or failure to respond to treatment.

Brachytherapy↗