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Retinoblastoma in children older than 5 years of age
Author(s) -
Aguirre Neto Joaquim Caetano de,
Antoneli Célia Beatriz Gianotti,
Ribeiro Karina Braga,
Castilho Marcus Simões,
Novaes Paulo Eduardo R. S.,
Chojniak Martha M. M.,
Arias Victor
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
pediatric blood and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.116
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1545-5017
pISSN - 1545-5009
DOI - 10.1002/pbc.20931
Subject(s) - medicine , retinoblastoma , pediatrics , incidence (geometry) , medical record , disease , surgery , biochemistry , chemistry , physics , optics , gene
Background Retinoblastoma is a malignant tumor of the embryonic neural retina. About 80% of cases are diagnosed before age 4, with a median age at diagnosis of 2 years. Objective To determine characteristics and prognosis of retinoblastoma in children older than 5 years. Procedures From 1986 to 2002, medical records of 16 patients out of 453 cases referred to Hospital do Câncer AC Camargo, São Paulo, Brazil. Results Median age at diagnosis was 73.7 months (range 65–144) and there was an equal gender distribution. Fifteen patients presented with unilateral disease. The mean time between first symptoms and diagnosis was 9.6 months (range 0–48). Most cases were diagnosed in advanced stages and 15 eyes were enucleated. Eleven patients presented with intraocular tumor (1 Reese II and 10 Reese V) and five presented with extraocular disease (one CCG II and four CCG III). Twelve patients are still alive with a median follow‐up of 92 months (range 65–199). Conclusions Because of its low incidence at this age, diagnosis of retinoblastoma is usually delayed due to low level of suspicion. Therefore, it is important that physicians are aware of this disease in order to perform an earlier diagnosis, and decrease treatment‐related morbidity. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;48:292–295. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.