What is Retinoblastoma?
Retinoblastoma (RB) is a rare type of eye cancer that mainly affects young children and occurs in one in 20,000 live births. It is a malignant tumor of the retina in the back of the eye. Retinoblastoma can be hereditary or non-hereditary. When inherited, it can affect both eyes and sometimes other organs of the body, whereas the non-hereditary type will usually only affect one eye.
What are the symptoms of retinoblastoma?
The early symptoms of retinoblastoma are varied, but often include a pupil that appears white when exposed directly to light or eyes that appear to be looking in different directions. It may be accompanied by redness, swelling or blurred vision. To confirm a diagnosis of this or any other eye condition, however, it is critical that the patient be seen by an ophthalmologist.
How is retinoblastoma detected?
The most common means of detecting retinoblastoma is through retinal imaging. Emory Eye Center uses a RetCam 120 camera to provide a high-resolution, 120-degree view of the retina. This allows us to see the entire retina, including the periphery. It is particularly useful for retinoblastoma, which can involve a large portion of the retina.
What is the best course of treatment?
Every case is different, but early treatment is key. Untreated, retinoblastoma can metastasize to other parts of the body, resulting in death. Using current treatment approaches, the survival rate for retinoblastoma now exceeds 90% and more vision is being saved than ever before.
Emory Eye Center is equipped to detect and treat this condition early because we are supported by our own ocular oncology and pathology service as well the expertise of our colleagues at the Emory University School of Medicine. When needed, we can offer the services of a pediatric retina surgeon, pediatric oncologist, radiation oncologist, genetics counselor and a host of consultants.