Growth parameters in children with retinoblastoma

The purpose of this study was to compare growth parameters of retinoblastom a patients with siblings and the normal Dutch population. Height, weight, h ead circumference and sitting height were measured in 67 patients and 63 co ntrols. Target height was calculated based on the parental height of retino blastoma patients. Standard deviation scores and population-based percentil es were calculated and used for statistical analysis. Retinoblastoma patien ts had larger head circumferences than the Dutch population and their sibli ngs, and their weight was also higher than the Dutch population. Height and target height showed no differences from the Dutch population. Retinoblast oma patients had a greater sitting height than the Dutch population. Sample numbers were too small to reach statistical significance when comparing th e sitting height of retinoblastoma patients with their siblings. No obvious explanations are available for these differences.