Objective: This study correlated the patterns of ocular B- and A-scans of intraocular retinoblastoma (RB) with corresponding histopathology sections. It aimed to establish a more objective basis for determining intraocular retinoblastoma by ultrasonography (UTZ) and to determine the degree of malignancy and viability of the tumor cells. Methods: New cases of retinoblastoma seen at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) from January 1994 to December 2003 were reviewed. Included were patients who underwent enucleation and whose eyeballs were processed at the UP Institute of Ophthalmology. Those with good quality ocular ultrasonographs (UTZ) and clear matching histopathologic sections were finally selected. Findings were correlated and analyzed.Results: Retinoblastoma (RB) showed multiplicity of lesions on UTZ corresponding to multiple lesions on histopathology. The following characteristic patterns were seen: Very malignant RB or pseudorosettes: fine, grainy densities on B-scan with short to medium broad spikes on A-scan ("V-W" pattern). Moderate differentiation with moderate necrosis and early calcific plaques: fine, dense grainy opacities on B-scan with multiple thin, high spikes admixed with tall, broad spikes of calcium deposits on A-scan. Well-differentiated RB with compact viable cells and no necrosis: large, white densities on B-scan with an initial high spike and high internal reflectivity, sometimes "plateauing," on A-scan with no calcific deposits. Complete tumor necrosis with calcific plaques: echolucent space with dense, white, plaque-like opacities on B-scan; flat or low spikes mixed with tall, broad spikes corresponding to calcium plaques on A-scan. Normal vitreous, serous subretinal fluid, or recent hemorrhage: echolucent area on B-scan with flat or low spikes on A-scan. Conclusion: The three most frequent findings in intraocular retinoblastoma were calcific plaques with liquefaction necrosis, multiplicity of lesions, and pseudorosettes. Ocular ultrasound of retinoblastoma showed good histopathologic correlation.
Human ; RETINOBLASTOMA ; ULTRASONOGRAPHY ; RETINAL NEOPLASMS ; RETINAL DISEASES ; EYE DISEASES ; PATHOLOGY

The variety of human cancers in which the retinoblastoma protein pRb is inactivated reflects both its broad importance for tumor suppression and its multitude of cellular functions. Accumulating evidence indicates that pRb contributes to a diversity of cellular functions, including cell proliferation, differentiation, cell death, and genome stability. pRb performs these diverse functions through the formation of large complexes that include E2F transcription factors and chromatin regulators. In this review we will discuss some of the recent advances made in understanding the structure and function of pRb as they relate to tumor suppression, and highlight research using Drosophila melanogaster that reveals important, evolutionarily conserved functions of the RB family.
Animals ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; etiology ; pathology ; prevention & control ; Retinoblastoma Protein ; metabolism

Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common intraocular malignant tumor in infants and young children. The key causative factors in the progression of RB remain unclear. Therefore, identifying genes closely associated with RB progression may provide important clues for disease diagnosis and gene therapy. However, tumor tissues have strong cellular heterogeneity. There may be significant differences in cell function and gene expression among cells in different pathological states. In this study, we downloaded single-cell transcriptome sequencing data of RB tumors and adjacent tissues from the GEO public database. Subsequently, we analyzed RB tumor transcriptional profiles with different disease duration at the single-cell level and identified cell groups and gene sets potentially associated with RB progression. The results showed that the tumor tissue and the adjacent tissues had overall consistency in the single-cell transcriptional map, but there were obvious differences in the distribution proportions of G1 phase cells, G2 phase cells, and microglia cells of cone precursors in RB tumor and the adjacent tissues. Furthermore, the role of three cell populations in the progression of RB tumors was emphatically analyzed. We found that in the early stage of RB tumors, cone precursor cells proliferated abnormally in G1 phase. With the progression of RB tumors, the proportion of cone precursor cells in G2 phase increased significantly. Meanwhile, the results of differential analysis of microglial populations during RB progression showed that the key genes mainly involved in immune response include RPL23, B2M, and HLA superfamily genes. This study provides new perspectives and data resources for the research of RB pathogenesis and progress.
Child ; Infant ; Humans ; Child, Preschool ; Retinoblastoma/pathology* ; Transcriptome ; Retinal Neoplasms/pathology*

Trilateral retinoblastoma is a rare, but well recognized syndrome. These tumors usually occur in the pineal, parasellar, or suprasellar regions several years after successful management of ocular retinoblastomas without evidence of direct extension or distant metastasis. Here we report a case of trilateral retinoblastoma presenting initially with a sellar tumor and with concurrent unilateral retinoblastoma. The patient was a 5-month-old baby girl showing poor eye contact and nystagmus for several days. She had no family history of retinoblastoma. Brain MRI revealed a midline suprasellar tumor without evidence of cerebrospinal fluid seeding or extracranial metastasis. A pathologic diagnosis of retinoblastoma was made for her brain tumor, and a small, intraocular retinoblastoma was detected in the left eye by thorough examination of the fundus. If a retinoblastoma occurs in the midline of the brain, including the pineal and sellar regions, a careful screening to detect any additional retinal tumors should be performed. Moreover, since these tumors are often hereditary and harbor a worse prognosis, the diagnosis has implications for genetic counseling. This is the first report on a case of trilateral retinoblastoma in Korea presented with a sellar mass.
Brain/*pathology/radiography ; Brain Neoplasms/pathology/radiography/*secondary/surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Retinal Neoplasms/*pathology/radiography/surgery ; Retinoblastoma/pathology/radiography/*secondary/surgery

It has been well known that the survivors of retinoblastoma are prone to have osteosarcoma. But the secondary tumor usually occurs in bilateral, hereditary type of retinoblastoma. We report one case of osteosarcoma in a survivor of unilateral, sporadic retinoblastoma. A fourteen year old male presented with a painfully swollen distal forearm of 2 month duration. He had enucleated his left eye 10 years ago due to retinoblastoma with no other adjuvant therapy. We managed him with our conventional protocol and identified deletion of Rb gene from his pathological specimen by using the PCR-RFLP method. This result is unusual for unilateral nonhereditable retinoblastoma and may suggest gene level change even in sporadic cases. And Rb gene study may be helpful for unilateral, sporadic retinoblastoma patient in detecting the possibility of late osteosarcoma.
Adolescent ; Base Sequence ; Case Report ; DNA Primers ; *Gene Deletion ; *Genes, Retinoblastoma ; Human ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Osteosarcoma/complications/*genetics/pathology ; Retinoblastoma/complications/*genetics/pathology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Survivors

BACKGROUNDThe use of post-enucleation adjuvant therapy to decrease the extraocular relapse rate is frequently considered, but there is much controversy about the indications for adjuvant therapy. The aim of this retrospective study was to observe the treatment and prognosis for different degrees of invasion of eye tissue in retinoblastoma (RB) and identify the indications for post-enucleation adjuvant therapy.

METHODSWe recruited 537 children who had been diagnosed with unilateral RB and had received enucleation from January 2006 to December 2012 in our hospital, and divided them into three groups according to their number of histopathologic risk factors: 0 factor, 1 factor, or ≥2 factors. Histopathologic high-risk factors included invasion of the optic nerve posterior to the ethmoid plate (including optic nerve stumps) and extensive invasions of the choroid, sclera, anterior chamber, iris, and ciliary body. Treatment was delivered accordingly, and the prognosis of different degrees of histopathologic invasion was observed. The subjects were followed up for 6 months to 7 years (average follow-up time: 35 months). Statistical analysis was analyzed using χ(2) test. P < 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTSOf the 537 RB patients who received enucleation, 25 died (overall survival: 95.3%). Of the 369 (68.7%) with no histopathologic risk factors, 1 died of recurrence, with a mortality rate of 0.3%, whereas of the 168 (31.3%) with histopathologic risk factors, 26 had recurrences and 24 died (mortality rate: 14.3%; P = 0.000). Of the 93 patients (17.3%), each of whom had a single risk factor, nine had recurrences, 16 died (8.6%). Of the 75 patients (14%) with two or more high-risk factors, 16 died (21.3%). These differences were statistically significant between the three (P = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONChemotherapy is recommended for patients with histopathologic risk factors, especially those with two or more histopathologic risk factors.

Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Prognosis ; Retinoblastoma ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Risk Factors

A blastoma is a type of cancer, which is common in children; it is caused by malignancies derived from in the precursor cells, often called blasts. Examples are nephroblastomas, retinoblastomas, pleuropulmonary blastomas, and pancreatoblastomas. Pancreatoblastomas are extremely rarely in adults. It is difficult preoperatively to distinguish this tumor from other pancreatic tumors including solid and papillary epithelial neoplasm of the pancreas (SPEN), acinar cell carcinoma, islet cell tumor, and ductal adenocarcinoma with cystic degeneration. To our knowledge, this case may be the second report of a pancreatoblastoma occurring in an adult in Korea. We report a case of a pancreatoblastoma that was confirmed by pathology, despite the radiologic finding that assumed it was a SPEN.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma, Islet Cell ; Adult* ; Carcinoma, Acinar Cell ; Child ; Humans ; Korea ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; Pancreas ; Pathology ; Retinoblastoma ; Wilms Tumor

Aged ; Anthracosis ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lung ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lung Neoplasms ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retinoblastoma Protein ; metabolism

Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating ; administration & dosage ; Child ; Humans ; Intravitreal Injections ; Male ; Melphalan ; administration & dosage ; Neoplasm Seeding ; Retinal Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Retinoblastoma ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Vitreous Body ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo observe the treatment and prognosis of optic nerve invasion in retinoblastoma (RB).

METHODThe children who had been diagnosed with unilateral RB and had received enucleation from January 2006 to December 2013 in our hospital were recruited. Tumor extension into the optic nerve were disclosed. Optic nerve involvement was classified into four grades according to the degree of invasion. Grade I is superficial invasion of the optic nerve head only, grade II is involvement up to and including the lamina cribrosa, grade III is involvement beyond the lamina cribrosa, and grade IV is involvement up to and including the surgical margin. Grade I and II are called invasion of the optic nerve before the sieve plate. Grade III and IV are called invasion of the optic nerve after the sieve plate. Other high-risk factors included extensive invasions of the choroid, sclera, anterior chamber, iris, and ciliary body. They were divided into two groups according to whether the merger of other high histopathologic risk factors. Treatment was delivered accordingly, and the prognosis of different degrees of optic nerve invasion was observed. The subjects were followed up for 6 months to 7 years (average: 43 months).

RESULTThere were 465 subjects in this study, including 279 boys and 186 girls. The right eye was affected in 260 patients and the left eye in 205 patients. The average time from onset of symptoms to visit was 2.7 months (range 1 day-24 months). Twenty-five patients died, resulting in an overall survival rate of 94.6%. The mortality rate of patients with optic nerve involvement with grade I was 0.4%, grade II was 1.0%, grade III was 8.7% was and grade IV was 60.9%. Of the 338 with invasion of the optic nerve before the sieve plate, two died of recurrence, with a survival rates of 99.4% (336/338). Of the 127 patients who had invasion of the optic nerve after the sieve plate, twenty-three died of recurrence, with a survival rate of 81.9% (104/127) , the difference was statistically significant (χ² = 52.299, P = 0.000). A total of 379 patients did not have any other merged pathology high-risk factors, 8 died, the mortality rate was 2.1%. Of the 86 patients who had complicated with other high-risk factors, 17 died, the mortality rate was 19.8%, the difference was statistically significant (χ² = 42.955, P = 0.000). Of the 338 patients, 304 had invasion of the optic nerve before the sieve plate had not merged other pathology high-risk factors, none died, of the 34 patients who had complicated with other pathology high-risk factors, 2 had died, the mortality rate was 5.9%, the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.010). Of the 127 patients with invasion of the optic nerve after the sieve plate, 76 had not complicated with other pathological high-risk factors, 9 of whom had died, the mortality rate was 11.8%, 51 had complicated with other pathological high-risk factors, 14 of whom had died, the mortality rate was 27.5%, outcomes did significantly differ between the two subgroups (χ² = 5.014, P = 0.025). Cox multivariate analysis showed that invasion of the retrolaminar optic nerve, surgical margin of the optic nerve and sclera were influential factors of colorectal cancer.

CONCLUSIONPatients with optic nerve invasion have an excellent outcome with current therapy. But for those whose resection margin was invaded, which has a high incidence of recurrence, chemotherapy is recommended for patients with postlaminar optic nerve involvement.

Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Optic Nerve Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Prognosis ; Retinoblastoma ; pathology ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate