Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Retinoblastoma Cases at a Tertiary Care Center in Eastern India

This study aims to evaluate the burden, demographic profile, clinical characteristics, and management of retinoblastoma (RB) cases at a tertiary care center.

This was a hospital-based study conducted in a tertiary care center in the Department of Ophthalmology from January 2018 to December 2022. All referred and newly diagnosed cases of RB coming to the outpatient department were included in the study after obtaining written informed consent from parents or guardians. Data collected were analyzed in terms of demographic profile, socioeconomic status, and clinical characteristics of the disease at the time of presentation and its treatment.

Out of 155,671 new patients seen in the outpatient eye department during the study period, 118 eyes of 94 patients were diagnosed with RB. The burden of disease was found to be 60.4 cases per 100,000 patients. Malignancy was unilateral in 74.47% and bilateral in 25.53% of cases. The male-to-female ratio was 1.7:1. The mean age at presentation was 30.86±19.5 months. A family history of RB was seen in 4.26% of cases. Of the patients, 80.85% belonged to upper-lower socioeconomic status. Most of the cases presented to us at an advanced stage of the disease (i.e., groups E and D).

Most of our cases present at an advanced stage of RB, resulting in poor outcomes and survival rates. It is necessary to organize awareness campaigns about the fatal nature of the disease so it can be diagnosed early, leading to better visual and survival outcomes.