Objective: To determine refractive changes in children post-cataract extraction and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation at a Philippine tertiary hospital. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study involving patients aged 1 to 10 years in the Department of Ophthalmology of a Philippine tertiary hospital who underwent cataract extraction and IOL implantation between 2004 to 2013. Results: We included 55 eyes of 34 patients in the analysis. Thirty-eight eyes (69%) eyes underwent primary IOL implantation. The mean duration of follow-up was 3.5 ± 2.1 years. The median refractive changes were -2.00 (-2.50, -0.50) diopters (D) for the 1- to 3-year-old group, -1.25 (-1.50, -0.25) D for the 4- to 7-year-old group, and -1.00 (-1.63, -0.25) D for the 8- to 10-year-old group. Only the 1- to 3-year-old group had significant difference between the initial post-operative refraction and the latest follow-up refraction (p<0.001). For the primary implantation group, patients in the 1- to 3-year-old group had the highest median refractive change at -2.00 (-3.125, -1.00) D while patients in the 8- to 10-year-old group had the highest median refractive change at -2.12 (-2.56, -1.69) D in the secondary implantation group. Refractions of eyes with IOL-implanted and normal eyes showed a median difference of -1.00 (-0.25, -3.5) D. Conclusion The determination of the power of IOL implants in pediatric patients who underwent cataract extraction remains challenging despite availability of recommendations.
Lens Implantation, Intraocular ; Child ; Cataract

Objectives: To describe the outcome of patients with bilateral or unilateral retinoblastoma with high-risk histopathological features managed at a tertiary hospital in the Philippines. Methods: This was a descriptive, retrospective review of retinoblastoma cases with high-risk histopathological characteristics seen at a tertiary hospital from January 1999 to July 2012. Out of 239 patients, those with at least one of the following features were included in the study: positive cut optic nerve margin, postlaminar optic nerve involvement (PLONI), intra- or extrascleral involvement, choroidal invasion, and anterior segment involvement. We determined the number of patients who developed orbital recurrence and metastasis, otherwise known as events, within 1 year after enucleation or exenteration and compared the outcomes between those who received and did not receive adjuvant therapy. Results: Of the 82 eyes of 79 patients with high-risk histopathologic features, 25.6% had orbital recurrence and 18.3% developed central nervous system, lymph node, or distant metastasis. None with isolated choroidal involvement (n=24) or combined choroidal and anterior segment involvement (n=4) developed recurrence or metastasis. Patients with isolated anterior segment (n=1) and PLONI with negative margin involvement (n=1) remained event-free with chemotherapy. The following developed orbital recurrences: 2 of 9 patients with combined choroid and scleral involvement, and 1 of 8 patients with PLONI negative margin and choroidal involvement. These patients did not receive immediate postoperative chemotherapy. Two out of 4 patients with isolated PLONI with positive margin of resection developed metastasis despite adjuvant therapy. Of 12 patients with combined choroid, scleral, or anterior segment and PLONI with positive margin involvement, only 3 of the 7 patients who received full chemotherapy remained event-free, while the rest developed orbital recurrence or metastasis (9 of 12). Of 17 patients with extrascleral involvement and varying degrees of intraocular involvement and optic nerve margin involvement, only 3 of the 9 who received full chemotherapy remained event-free, including two who received an intensive chemotherapy course. Conclusions Isolated choroidal and combined choroid and anterior segment involvement had no recurrences or metastasis either with or without adjuvant therapy. Patients with combined choroid and scleral involvement and those with PLONI, negative margin with choroidal involvement had better outcomes with adjuvant therapy than without. Patients with the following features developed events despite adjuvant therapy: positive optic nerve margin combined with any ocular tissue involvement, and extrascleral involvement combined with any other feature. We recommend giving a timely and complete chemotherapy regimen to prevent recurrence or metastasis in combined choroid and scleral involvement, and PLONI negative margin with choroidal involvement. We suggest intensive chemotherapy for patients with positive margin involvement or extrascleral involvement. Further studies are recommended to establish the need for chemotherapy in isolated PLONI.
Retinoblastoma

OBJECTIVE

This study compared the demographics, clinical profile, treatment, and outcomes of retinoblastoma patients seen at medical institutions in the Philippines between two time periods: 2010 to 2015 and 2016 to 2020.

METHODS

This was a multicenter, analytical, cohort study using review of medical charts and databases of retinoblastoma patients seen in 11 medical institutions from 2010 to 2020.

RESULTS

There were 636 patients (821 eyes) included in this study: 330 patients were seen in 2010 to 2015 while 306 in 2016 to 2020. More cases per annum were seen in the latter timeline. The number of patients with unilateral disease was not significantly different between the two time periods (p=0.51). Age at onset of symptom, age at initial consultation, and delay in consult were also not significantly different between the two time periods (p > 0.05). Patients had significantly different distributions of intraocular grades (p < 0.0001) and systemic staging (p < 0.0001) between the two time periods. Enucleation was the most common surgical treatment performed in both timelines. There was significant difference in the status of patients based on the need for systemic chemotherapy (p < 0.01). There was significant difference in outcome between the two time periods, including the proportions of living and deceased patients.

CONCLUSION

This study compared the most comprehensive data on retinoblastoma patients in the country. There was no improvement in early health seeking behavior based on similar age at initial consult and delay in consult. Enucleation remained the most common treatment mode as opposed to chemotherapy due to similar percentage of patients with unilateral disease, an indication for enucleation rather than chemotherapy.

Human ; Retinoblastoma ; Philippines ; Epidemiology ; Treatment ; Therapeutics