Objective: To report various intraocular conditions that mimic retinoblastoma. Methods: A review was conducted of eyeballs enucleated for suspected retinoblastoma between 2003 and 2007, and referred for histopathological confirmation. The slides of cases not histopathologically consistent with the diagnosis of retinoblastoma were reexamined. Clinical records and results of neuroimaging studies were reviewed retrospectively Results: Of the 197 eyeballs examined, 182 (92%) proved to be retinoblastoma on histological exam, while 15 (8%) from 13 patients were pseudoretinoblastomas. The age of patients ranged from 4 months to 9 years, with a mean of 35.5 months. The etiologies of the pseudoretinoblastomas were as follows: persistent primary hyperplastic vitreous (PHPV) in 5 eyeballs (33%); retinal dysplasia in 3 (20%); Coats’disease, phthisis bulbi, and vitreous hemorrhage with retinal detachment in 2 (13%) each; and granulomatous endophthalmitis in 1 (8%). Conclusion The 8% erroneous diagnosis was lower than the published rates of 10 to 20%. The common etiologies of pseudoretinoblastoma were similar to those reported.
Retinoblastoma ; Retinal Telangiectasis ; Retinal Dysplasia

Background. Anxiety and depression are becoming increasingly prevalent today and are often aggravated by day-to-day stresses. Because current management strategies are usually accompanied by unpleasant side effects, there is a need to look into alternative treatment regimens - such as prebiotics - that may provide equally effective anxiolytic and antidepressant effects.

Objective. Therefore, the study aims to determine the effect of a combined fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and galactooligosaccharide (GOS) supplemented diet on anxiety and depression levels in mice subjected to Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress (UCMS).

Methods. Forty male BALB/C mice were subjected to UCMS under a pretest-posttest control group design where the treatment group received prebiotic supplementation throughout the study. Repeated measures ANOVA was run to evaluate between, within, and time interactions of the measured anxiety parameters using the light-dark box test, and depression parameter using the fur coat state assessment.

Results. Results show that (1) the FOS + GOS treatment did not give the treatment group an advantage over the control group during UCMS, (2) both groups grew more anxious and depressed over time, and (3) the treatment group grew more anxious with time in relation to control in terms of the total time spent in the light side.

Conclusion. These imply that the UCMS protocol was successful in inducing stress in mice, but the FOS + GOS regimen failed to provide anxiolytic and antidepressant effects on male BALB/C mice exposed to UCMS.

Prebiotics ; Anxiety ; Depression ;