Surgical repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in eyes harboring active retinoblastoma

Background: Intraocular surgeries are classically contraindicated for patients with active Retinoblastoma (RB) due to the risk of tumor dissemination. Unfortunately, RB treatment may be complicated by rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) that necessitates surgical repair especially in a child who is monocular from enucleation of the contralateral eye.

Objective: To assess the outcome of surgical repair of rhegmatogenous RD in children with RB using non-drainage scleral buckling.

Results: Rhegmatogenous RD was diagnosed in three eyes of three children during treatment of RB; one of which had associated tractional RD. All patients received systemic chemotherapy, cryotherapy, and thermal therapy. RD was present at the site of the most recent cryotherapy in all of the three eyes. RD was repaired externally with a scleral buckling procedure without subretinal fluid drainage in each of the three eyes. The retina reattached completely after surgery in two eyes and only partially in one eye. In one eye, which had the tractional component, complete retinal attachment was not achieved and thus enucleation was performed. Orbital or metastatic retinoblastoma was detected in none of the cases on follow-up at 6–36 months.

Conclusions: Scleral buckling without subretinal fluid drainage is a useful technique for repairing rhegmatogenous RD in eyes with RB mainly in the absence of a tractional component.