Spontaneous regression of retinoblastoma in a Taiwan series.
OBJECTIVE
To document the high occurrence of complete spontaneous regression of retinoblastoma in a Taiwan series.


METHODS
Cases of retinoblastoma (133 eyes of 110 patients) at a single Taiwanese hospital from 1978 to 2002 were reviewed.


RESULTS
Complete spontaneous tumor regression and phthisis bulbi were noted in 7 eyes of 7 patients. The regression rate was 5.3%, which is higher than previous reports of 1% to 2%. Tumor regression was associated with a common course of acute painful inflammation and ended with a shrunken, nonfunctioning eye. No residual vision was noted in any patient.


CONCLUSIONS
Delayed diagnosis and advanced stage of the disease in this series of Taiwanese patients probably led to the massive intratumoral necrosis and resulted in phthisic change of the globe.
Kao
Ling Yuh
LY
Division of Neuro-Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Medical Center, Chang Gung University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yang
Meng Ling
ML
D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009365:Neoplasm Regression, Spontaneous / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019572:Retinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013624:Taiwan