Characterization of Retinoblastoma Patients in a Referral Center on the Colombian North Coast

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the following study was to describe the sociodemographic, clini-cal, and therapeutic characteristics of patients with retinoblastoma (RB), the most common intraocular tumor in children, receiving medical care in an eyecare institution in the Carib-bean region of Colombia.Methods: A case series between 2016 and 2021 was carried out. Eyes of patients with RB, receiving medical care in a single health care institution, and in compliance with the esta-blished follow-up protocol, were included. Descriptive analyzes of relevant variables were performed.99Characterization of Retinoblastoma Patients in a Referral Center on the Colombian North CoastAna María Álvarez Castillo, Cesar Atencia Niño,Diana Cifuentes Zapata, Katia Gutiérrez Brun,Jaime Moreno Chaparro, Javier Antonio Amaya Nieto, Javier Vásquez RamírezVol. 40(1), 2024, 97-108Barranquilla (Col.) Results: In this study, a totalof 21 eyes of 16 patients were examined. The average age at the time of diagnosis was 17.7 months, and 50% of children were male. Using the Interna-tional Classification for Intraocular Retinoblastoma, 42.9% of the total cases were classi-fied as group D. Out of the 21 cases, 71.4% went into total remission without the necessity for enucleation, and the most common treatment was chemotherapy, using Melphalan® via intraarterial or intravitreal administration.Conclusion: Specific findings of patients with RB in the Caribbean Coast of Colombia were identified. These findings imply that, despite the obstacles to healthcare access, an early diagnosis and a treatment plan using intraarterial chemotherapy may provide a satisfac-tory clinical outcome (remission).