Retinoblastoma
| Retinoblastoma | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Rb tumors taken with a retinoscan before and during chemotherapy | |
| Classification and external resources | |
| Specialty | Oncology |
| ICD-10 | C69.2 |
| ICD-9-CM | 190.5 |
| ICD-O | M9510/3 |
| OMIM | 180200 |
| DiseasesDB | 11434 |
| MedlinePlus | 001030 |
| eMedicine | oph/346 |
| Patient UK | Retinoblastoma |
| MeSH | D012175 |
| GeneReviews | |
Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a rare form of cancer that rapidly develops from the immature cells of a retina, the light-detecting tissue of the eye. It is the most common malignant cancer of the eye in children, and it is almost exclusively found in young children.
Though most children survive this cancer, they may lose their vision in the affected eye(s) or need to have the eye removed.
Almost half of children with retinoblastoma have a hereditary genetic defect associated with retinoblastoma. In other cases, it is caused by a congenital mutation in the chromosome 13 gene, 13q14.
There are two forms of the disease, a heritable form and non-heritable form (all cancers are considered genetic in that mutations of the genome are required for their development, but this does not imply that they are heritable, or transmitted to offspring). Approximately 55% of children with retinoblastoma have the non-heritable form. If there is no history of the disease within the family, the disease is labeled "sporadic", but this does not necessarily indicate that it is the non-heritable form. Bilateral retinoblastomas are commonly heritable, while unilateral retinoblastomas are commonly non-heritable.
In about two-thirds of cases, only one eye is affected (unilateral retinoblastoma); in the other third, tumors develop in both eyes (bilateral retinoblastoma). The number and size of tumours on each eye may vary. In certain cases, the pineal gland or the suprasellar or parasellar region (or in very rare cases other midline intracranial locations) is also affected (trilateral retinoblastoma). The position, size and quantity of tumours are considered when choosing the type of treatment for the disease.
The most common and obvious sign of retinoblastoma is an abnormal appearance of the retina as viewed through the pupil, the medical term for which is leukocoria, also known as amaurotic cat's eye reflex. Other signs and symptoms include deterioration of vision, a red and irritated eye with glaucoma, and faltering growth or delayed development. Some children with retinoblastoma can develop a squint, commonly referred to as "cross-eyed" or "wall-eyed" (strabismus). Retinoblastoma presents with advanced disease in developing countries and eye enlargement is a common finding.
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Wikipedia