Department of radiolgy Pathology,* College of Medicine, Seoul National University
ABSTRACT
Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular tumor in infants and young children which has relativelyfavorable prognosis with early diagnosis and adequate treatment, however, it can be lethal if the treatment isdelayed or inadequate. Clinically, early diagnosis is often difficult because of minimal subjective and objectivesigns and symptoms, and the patients are usually too young to complain visual disturbance. When ophthalmoscopicexamination is impossible due to presence of opaue media in front of tumor mass as associated inflammatoryreaction, hemorrhage, corneal opacity, retinal detachment, etc, ultrasonography is necessary for diagnosis ofretinoblastoma. Authors analyzed ultrasonographical findings with pathological correlation on 10 cases ofconfirmed retinoblastoma during the period of March 1981 to September1982 at the Seoul National UniversityHospital. In all cases, ultrasonography demonstrates intraocular masses and all of which are cystic type.Reflectivity of masses are higher than retroorbital fat tissue in 8 cases, and 7 cases show irregular internalechogenic texture. There is no correlation between reflextivity and internal echogenic texture with microscopicfindings as rosette, pseudorosette and microcysts. Calcifications are demonstrated by ultrasonography as strongreflectiveness with posterior sonic shadowing in 9 cases and 9 of 10 cases are well correlated with calcificationsin pathologic specimens. Anechoic cystic areas are shown in 9 cases, and 6 of 10 cases are well correlated withnecrosis in pathologic specimen. In all cases, there is no attenuation of sound within tumor masses, and nodemonstrable choroidal excavation. Associated retinal detachment is hardly identifiable in irregular contour andinternal texture of cystic tumor masses.