Chemoreduction improves eye retention in patients with retinoblastoma: a report from the German Retinoblastoma Reference Centre.

Background: Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular childhood tumour. Although mortality is low in Western countries, long-term sequelae, including secondary tumours, compromised vision or loss of one or both eyes are common. Chemoreduction combined with focal treatment is currently the leading conservative treatment for retinoblastoma, with success rates of 50-75% reported.

[Intraocular medulloepithelioma - series of 10 cases and review of the literature].

Intraocular medulloepithelioma is an extremely rare unilateral intraocular tumor arising from the nonpigmented ciliary epithelium. Medulloepitheliomas may be classified as benign and malignant and as teratoid and nonteratoid tumors. As a rule a long latency period occurs after first symptoms until the final diagnosis of a medulloepithelioma is made.

Beta-ray brachytherapy with 106Ru plaques for retinoblastoma.

Purpose: A retrospective analysis of 134 patients who received (106)Ru brachytherapy for retinoblastomas (175 tumors in 140 eyes). Treatment and follow-up were analyzed with special emphasis on tumor control organ, preservation, and late complications.

Results: Treated tumors had a mean height and diameter of 3.

De novo intraocular retinoblastoma development after chemotherapy in patients with hereditary retinoblastoma.

Objective: Identification of incidence and risk factors for recurrence of de novo retinoblastomas after chemotherapy treatment in patients with hereditary retinoblastoma.

Methods: A retrospective, case-control study of 32 patients (50 eyes) with sporadic or familial bilateral retinoblastomas was conducted. Patients received a systemic chemotherapy regimen applying three courses of a combination of three drugs (including vincristine, etoposide, carboplatin, or cyclophosphamide) followed by additional local therapy.

[Retinoblastoma].

Retinoblastomas are the most frequent intraocular tumors in childhood. Untreated, the tumor is almost always fatal. Using a multidisciplinary approach combining the efforts of ophthalmologists, radiation oncologists, pediatric oncologists and geneticists a survival rate of more than 95% can be achieved.