Introduction: A reliable detection of metastatic risk factors is important for children with retinoblastoma to choose the right therapeutic regimen. First studies using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with orbit surface coils were promising. The aim of this study was therefore to evaluate the ability of high-resolution MRI to detect metastatic and especially advanced metastatic risk factors in a large group of children with retinoblastoma.
Methods: One hundred forty-three consecutive children with retinoblastoma (148 enucleated eyes, 64 girls, 79 boys, mean age 19.7 ± 15.3) who received pretherapeutical high-resolution MRI with orbit surface coils on 1.5 T MR scanner systems between 2007 and 2012 and subsequent primary enucleation within 14 days were included in this retrospective study. Image analysis was performed by two neuroradiologists experienced in ocular imaging in consensus. Histopathology served as gold standard.
Results: Sensitivity/specificity for the detection of metastatic risk factors using high-resolution MRI with orbit surface coils were 60 %/88.7 % for postlaminar optic nerve infiltration, 65.5 %/95.6 % for choroidal invasion, 100 %/99.3 % for scleral invasion, and 100 %/100 % for peribulbar fat invasion, respectively. The results increased for the detection of advanced metastatic risk factors, 81.8 %/89.1 % for deep postlaminar optic nerve infiltration, 70.6 %/97.6 % for massive choroidal invasion.
Conclusions: High-resolution MRI is clinically valuable for the detection of metastatic, especially of advanced metastatic risk factors in children with retinoblastoma.