TREATMENT OF RETINOBLASTOMA VITREOUS BASE SEEDING

Objective: The purpose of the study is to describe results of a new tr eatment for retinoblastoma vitreous base seeding. Design: The study de sign was a retrospective review of patients treated at an ocular oncol ogy referral center, Participants: Five eyes of five patients with vit reous base seeding that occurred after previous external beam radiatio n therapy were treated between October 1987 and December 1994. Interve ntion: A customized plaque made from iridium-192/platinum wire was pla ced to deliver 4000 cGy to the tumor apex along its entire length and systemic chemotherapy (consisting of carboplatin, vincristine, and eto poside) was given. Main Outcome Measures: Eye preservation and tumor c ontrol were measured. Results: Vitreous base seeding was controlled co mpletely and the eye preserved in four of the five treated eyes with a n average follow-up of 26.2 months. Conclusions: The combination of a customized iridium-192 plaque and systemic chemotherapy is an effectiv e means of treating vitreous base seeding of retinoblastoma.