Presentation of Retinoblastoma Patients in a Missionary Eye Hospital in Nigeria

Background: The clinical presentation of retinoblastoma is essential in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis for the survival of patients. Moreover, early detection and treatment of the disease can reverse the disease process and influence the modality of management with the eventual saving of the eye, vision and life of the patients.

Objective: To review the variants of presentation of retinoblastoma cases at Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) Eye Hospital, Kano, Nigeria between December 2006 and January 2014.

Methods: Prospectively 120 cases of retinoblastoma were studied after obtaining consents from their parents. The patients’ bio-data and relevant medical history were obtained and subsequently analysed using SPSS version 20.

Results: There were seventy (58.3%) male patients. The mean age at presentation was 2.7±1.4 years. The average time lapse between the manifestation of symptoms and presentation to the hospital was 7.1 months. The commonest form of presentation was proptosis (61.7%).

Conclusion: Patients with retinoblastoma presented late and with an advanced form of the disease in ECWA Eye Hospital, Kano. The commonest forms of presentation are proptosis, cat eye reflex and fungating mass. There were 19 cases of bilateral retinoblastoma and 101 cases with unilateral neoplasms.