Outcomes of Cataract Surgery Following Treatment for Retinoblastoma

To evaluate the long-term visual outcomes and complications of cataract surgery in eyes previously treated for retinoblastoma.

We reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent cataract extraction and intraocular lens implantation at Seoul National University Children's Hospital for a secondary cataract that developed after retinoblastoma treatment.

During the period between 1990 and 2014, 208 eyes of 147 patients received eye-salvaging treatment (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and local therapy) for retinoblastoma at Seoul National University Children's Hospital. Among these eyes, a secondary cataract was detected in 17 eyes of 14 patients, and five eyes of five patients underwent cataract surgery. The median age of cataract formation was 97 months (range, 38 to 153 months). The medial interval between the diagnosis of retinoblastoma and cataract formation was 79 months (range, 29 to 140 months). All patients received posterior chamber intraocular lens insertion after irrigation and aspiration of the lens through a scleral tunnel incision. Anterior vitrectomy and posterior capsulotomy were performed in two eyes and a laser capsulotomy was subsequently performed in one eye. No intraoperative and postoperative complications occurred. The median follow-up after surgery was 36 months (range, 14 to 47 months). The final best corrected visual acuities were improved in all five eyes. No intraocular tumor recurrences or metastases occurred.

After retinoblastoma regression, cataract extraction in our series was not associated with tumor recurrence or metastasis. Visual improvement was noted in every patient.