Ultrasonography in orbital retinoblastoma

Abstract

Retinoblastoma is the commonest intraocular malignancy in childhood. One of the biggest problems in managing these tumors is to detect early extraocular spread, since this alters the surgical treatment and the ultimate morbidity in these patients.Ultrasonic evaluation is considered an essential part of the leucocoria work-up. the echo-graphic characters of this lesion are now well known, but the features of orbital extension have never been adequately stressed in the literature before.Seventy-two cases of leucocoria were investigated fully. A diagnosis of retinoblastoma with orbital extension was made in nine of them (ultimately confirmed). Echographically, a loss of ocular coat contour, Tenon's space enlargement, optic nerve enlargement and fat pattern alteration (B mode) and a widened retrobulbar spike complex with decreased motility were found to be diagnostic. New features that were found to be absolutely typical of intraocular and clinically evident extraocular retinoblastoma will also be demonstrate...