What is Pediatric Eye Cancer?

The most common form of pediatric eye cancer is retinoblastoma. A retinoblastoma is a tumor that forms in the retina, which is the nerve tissue in the back of the eyeball. The retina is where the rod and cone cells are found. This condition occurs in infants and young children all over the world. It can result in the loss of an eyeball, and it can even result in death if it is not found soon enough. Retinoblastoma is a major reason it is important to get children's eyes checked regularly by a pediatrician, an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. A less common and less dangerous form of pediatric eye cancer is a dermoid.

Symptoms of Retinoblastoma

• The National Institutes of Health reports that the symptoms of a retinoblastoma typically begin before the age of 5. Often the first symptom is leukocoria. or a white appearance to the pupil. The pupil is in the center of the iris, and it is black in all normal cases. The leukocoria is most easily seen in the early stages of retinoblastoma if a child has his picture taken with flash photography. As the condition becomes more advanced, the pupil appears white even to the casual observer. Other symptoms of retinoblastoma can include crossed eyes, poor vision in the affected eye, eye pain and redness.

Prevalance of Retinoblastoma

• The Mayo Clinic, WebMD, and The National Institutes of Health agree that retinoblastoma occurs in approximately 300 children every year in the United States. This is equivalent to approximately one in every 20,000 children. These numbers do not make it a common condition; however, it has life-altering consequences for those 300 children and their families. WebMD reports that approximately 40 percent of children with retinoblastoma inherited it from their parents. The remaining 60 percent developed the condition through random genetic mutations during development. The majority of retinoblastoma patients develop retinoblastoma in only one eye, but about one-fourth of the patients develop retinoblastoma in both eyes.

Treatment of Retinoblastoma

• Retinoblastoma treatment typically results in complete eradication of the cancer from the body if it is discovered soon enough. The treatment depends on the stage of the cancer when it is discovered. In the early stages, doctors use laser photocoagulation to kill the blood vessels that nourish the tumor cells, causing them to die. This treatment has few side effects. Cryotherapy, in which the tumor cells are frozen and destroyed, also has relatively few side effects. In more advanced cases, doctors might use radiation or chemotherapy. This is the same as treatment for other types of cancer, and it carries the same risk of side effects. If the retinoblastoma is advanced to the point where the risk of it spreading is too great, the usual treatment is enucleation, or surgical removal of the eyeball.

Dermoid

• A dermoid is a type of eye tumor generally found in children. According to Medscape, a dermoid tumor is classified as a choristoma. A choristoma is a tumor formed from normal tissue that is developing in the wrong location. An example is a dermoid that causes hair to grow out of the eyeball. These tumors usually are noticed first because of their cosmetic implications. A parent, relative or healthcare provider might notice the tumors while playing with or examining the child.

Treatment of a Dermoid

• The treatment of a dermoid is surgical removal. The surgical removal of the dermoid is typically uncomplicated, and it generally leaves the eyeball in good working order. However, the surgery might alter the shape of the eyeball, so that the child might need glasses or contact lenses to ensure proper vision and to avoid the development of amblyopia, or lazy eye.