Enucleated Pseudoretinoblastoma: A Six-year Review from a Philippine Center

Objectives. To evaluate the prevalence, etiologies, demographics, and clinical presentation of enucleated pseudoretinoblastoma. 

Methods. This retrospective study reviewed ocular pathology records of enucleated globes with clinically diagnosed or suspected retinoblastoma submitted to a public university ocular pathology laboratory from 2013 to 2018. Hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections of pseudoretinoblastoma cases were reevaluated, and additional clinical data were taken from hospital charts.

Results. Of the 211 enucleated eyes with clinically diagnosed or suspected retinoblastoma, 202 (95.7%) had
histologically confirmed retinoblastoma, while 9 (4.3%) had pseudoretinoblastoma. The most common ocular
conditions mimicking retinoblastoma were retinal dysplasia (2 eyes) and persistent fetal vasculature (2 eyes). The pseudoretinoblastoma group consisted of 4 females and 5 males, and enucleated were 6 right eyes and 3 left eyes. The mean age at the time of enucleation was 3.65 years, and the mean symptom duration was 17.36 months. Leukocoria, which was noted in 4 patients, was the most frequent initial symptom. No significant difference between the pseudoretinoblastoma group and the retinoblastoma group were found in terms of sex, laterality of the enucleated eye, age at the time of enucleation, and symptom duration.

Conclusion. In this retrospective review, the prevalence of pseudoretinoblastoma in enucleated globes clinically
suspected or diagnosed with retinoblastoma was 4.3%. Persistent fetal vasculature and retinal dysplasia were the most common pseudoretinoblastomas. Clinicians should perform a thorough clinical evaluation and judiciously utilize the available diagnostic means to differentiate retinoblastoma from pseudoretinoblastoma.