Delayed diagnosis of retinoblastoma.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the age of the patient and the stage of retinoblastoma at diagnosis and to determine the time delay between the first symptoms noticed by proxy and the diagnosis of retinoblastoma. Therefore, thirty-three children between the age of zero and seven with the diagnosis of uni- or bilateral retinoblastoma were studied retrospectively. Thirty-one patients were diagnosed with advanced disease; two patients had small tumors. The mean time delay between the first clinical symptoms and the diagnosis of retinoblastoma was 3.2 months (range 2 months to 1 year). In our study most children with retinoblastoma were diagnosed with advanced disease. In some patients there was a significant time delay between the first symptoms and the final diagnosis of retinoblastoma. Better parental and environmental information regarding symptoms of retinoblastoma could help to assure earlier detection of tumors.