Retinal Tumors 

Retinal tumors can be malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous).

Benign - Astrocytomas, 

Cancerous - Retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma occurs in age group of 1-4 years.

It has a tendency to run in families.

Symptoms - 

The mother may notice something white shining inside her child's eye, or it may be seen in the child's photo. This may Leukocoria or white pupil.

White pupil (Leukocoria), child squinting, eye protruding forward, eye swollen, appears bigger. These may point towards Retinoblastoma, especially if there is a family history.

It can occur in one or both eyes at a time.

It requires an URGENT Ophthalmological reference.

The child's pupils are dilated with atropine eye ointment or with other dilating eyedrops. The child has to be given general anesthesia for eye exam.

Treatment

USG, CTScan, MRI are required to check the extent of tumor spread.

LASER may be done. This burns off the tumor and its blood supply so, may stop its growth. This is useful in early cases.

Surgery -

If the tumor has spread, the whole eye is removed. This prevents spread to the brain, liver and other parts of the body.

Many times, the tumor is huge and to prevent spread to the brain, Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be given along with surgical removal of the eye.

The child needs to be observed frequently. Examination under anesthesia, EUA may be necessary to check for growth in the other eye and  in the eye socket, of the removed eye.

The siblings should also be checked, since it runs in families.

An artificial eye (Glass eye) may be inserted into the empty socket at a later date. But eye transplant  cannot be done, since the whole eye has been removed. Sadly, that eye can never see.

Many new Orbital implants are being devised. The newer implants made of calcium carbonate are porous and similar to chalk. Since they are porous, blood vessels can grow into them and their rejection rate lesser. A glass or porcelain prosthesis can be fitted over this orbital implant and this can achieve excellent cosmesis.

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What is a Tumor?

Abnormal growth of cells is called as a tumor. All the cells in our body are multiplying. Thus new cells are formed and old cells die, this is the cycle of life. There are many factors which control this growth. Some times, some cells become "rogue" cells or the controlling factors get astray. The cells do not obey the usual rules and multiply very fast and with abnormal components. This growth is manifested as a tumor. The tumor growth may be abnormal, but still has some "discipline" - then the tumor becomes benign, i.e. not very harmful.  Certain tumors are "so wild" they just "go out of control" - these are the cancers. Cancers can form any where in the body. Different cancers have their "favorite" age groups. Sadly, the Retinal cancer, Retinoblastoma has selected a very young age group for itself.

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You have no background of Biology and want to go to the basics. Great, it is never late to learn!

What is a cell?

Every living being is made of small parts and the tiniest unit which can survive on its own is termed as a cell. 

You still feel this tough to follow ? Well, Visualize a bee-hive. It is made up of small hexagonal areas. Each area can be thought of as a "cell". Each area has honey, wax and bee-eggs. Similarly, each living cell has many sub-components.

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