Retinoblastoma is often found in very young children, and it is a cancerous condition that originates in the eye. Prompt and accurate diagnosis of retinoblastoma is important because if found early enough it is curable, but if left to develop it could spread to other parts of the body.
Identification
Retinoblastoma is a cancerous condition that is found in the eye, specifically around the retina. The retina is the region behind the iris that holds the sensory material such as the optic nerve. While retinoblastoma can be found in children as old as six years old, it is most commonly found in children two years of age and younger.
Symptoms
A doctor will use the presence of certain symptoms to help begin the process of diagnosing retinoblastoma. One of the more identifiable symptoms of retinoblasoma appears in photographs taken of someone suffering from the condition. When a photograph is taken of someone with no eye disease, there is either a red-eye effect or the eyes look normal. When someone is experiencing the effects of retinoblastoma their eyes will glow white in photographs, and this is due to the damage being done to the retina by the tumor.
Other readily identifiable symptoms of retinoblastoma are crossed eyes, and when each eye has a different colored iris.
Eye Exam
One of the primary ways used to diagnose retinoblatoma is a standard eye exam. The ophthalmologist will see white spots in the eye that indicate the beginnings of tumors, and from there the doctor will use a special machine to examine the retina more closely to confirm the existence of tumors. This equipment uses lights and special magnifying lenses to look at the retina in a more detailed manner, and an accurate diagnosis can usually be made using this approach. In most cases the patient is unconscious during these retina examinations.
Severity
An experienced ophthalmologist can normally diagnose retinoblastoma from these detailed visual examinations, and the next step of diagnosing the condition is to check on how far the condition is spread. Detailed scans such as a CT scan, and MRI, or an ultrasound will be used to determine how far the cancerous cells have spread. In extreme cases a doctor may take tests and order a spinal tap to see if the cancerous reached the central nervous system, or to see if the cells have reached the bone marrow which could result in leukemia.
Biopsy
In some cases a doctor may order a biopsy to be taken of the infected area to determine if the tumor cells are benign or malignant. A biopsy is a diagnostic procedure where they would go into the retina and remove part of the infected area for testing. A biopsy is not common in diagnosing retinoblastoma because it could result in permanent damage to the eye, and it could also agitate cancerous cells which could cause the cells to spread.
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