Management of retinal detachment in retinoblastoma with globe conserving treatment

To investigate the features and outcomes of retinoblastoma (Rb) patients complicated by development of retinal detachment (RD) following systemic chemotherapy with or without local focal consolidation treatment and without external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).

A retrospective study of all Rb patients between April 2002 and April 2012 at a tertiary hospital center (Birmingham Children's Hospital and Birmingham Midlands Eye Centre, United Kingdom). All eyes that had developed RD during or after systemic treatment with or without local focal consolidation treatment were included in the study. The time interval between the type of treatment of Rb, development of RD and relevant surgical intervention were analyzed. Patients with exudative RD were treated conservatively through observation and patients with rhegmatogenous RD were treated with scleral buckling. Final anatomical retinal reattachment rate and visual acuity outcomes were analyzed.

A total of 258 patients were treated for Rb over the 10-year period. One hundred sixty-nine patients were managed with globe conserving treatment. Ten (5.92%) eyes of 10 patients were complicated with RD. Five eyes were exudative or presumed exudative type of RD while the other five eyes were rhegmatogenous or presumed rhegmatogenous RD. In the exudative group, two patients achieved visual acuity (VA) of 0.2 Single Kays (20/32 Snellen), and the other two patients achieved 0.85 and 0.86 Crowded Kays (20/142 and 20/145 Snellen), respectively, after the RD had resolved. The last patient in the group had to be enucleated due to tumor recurrences. The median time for the exudative RD to resolve is 15 weeks (range, 4-36 weeks). In the rhegmatogenous group, 3 of the 4 operated patients achieved retinal reattachment. The final postoperative VA ranged between 0.05 Crowded Kays to 1.84 Crowded Kays (20/22 to 20/1384 Snellen). The other patient was treated conservatively as no retinal breaks were found with previous cryotherapy and thermotherapy. The final VA in this patient was hand movement, and the RD did not reattach. The median time for the rhegmatogenous RD to reattach is 6 weeks (range, 4-8 weeks). There were no intra- and postoperative complications.

With long-term conservative management through observation, exudative Rb after systemic treatment of Rb will tend to resolve by itself. However, supplementary local treatment with cryoretinopexy or laser photocoagulation during the systemic treatment of Rb can lead to an increased risk of rhegmatogenous RD. In these cases, most rhegmatogenous RD are successfully repaired with non-drainage scleral buckling and cryoretinopexy.