Abstract
Purpose: To study the clinical spectrum and treatment outcome of retinoblastoma in Indian children. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 488 eyes of 355 retinoblastoma patients treated at a tertiary care ophthalmic hospital in southern India during a 14-year period. Results: Retinoblastoma involved one eye in 177 (50%) and both eyes in 178 (50%) patients. Mean age at presentation was 23.98 ± 23.37 months (unilateral, 29.4 ± 24.3 months; bilateral, 18.6 ± 21.07 months). The most common presenting symptom was leukocoria (72%), followed by poor vision (12.5%). Sixty-eight percent of the eyes presented with Reese-Ellsworth stage V disease. Overall, 60 (21.6%) of 278 eyes could be saved. Conclusion: Indian children with retinoblastoma present a mean of 6 months later than their Western counterparts, most often with leukocoria and Reese-Ellsworth stage V disease. Seventy percent of eyes in which salvage was attempted were saved. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus 2005;42:75–81.