Outcome Of Globe Preservation Therapy In Patients With Bilateral Retinoblastoma At The Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya

Abstract

Background The past 60 years have seen retinoblastoma management transform from enucleation of diseased eyes to attempts to salvage the eye and vision guided by the principles of first preserving life, then the eye and finally vision. Developed countries have achieved good results in controlling tumours and saving vision and life in children with bilateral retinoblastoma. In Kenya this practice has been ongoing since 2008 but no study has been done to asses our outcomes and identify gaps in our management. Study objective This study sets out to determine the outcome of globe preservation therapy in patients with bilateral retinoblastoma treated at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Kenya. METHODOLOGY Study design: Descriptive retrospective case series report. Study population: All patients with bilateral retinoblastoma who underwent globe preservation therapy at the KNH from 1st January 2008 to 31st December 2014. Study period: 1st September 2013 to January 31st 2015 subject to ethical approval. Data collection and management: Medical records of patients with bilateral retinoblastoma who underwent globe preservation therapy at KNH from January 2008 to June 30th 2014 will be retrieved from the records department. A data collection form will then be used to gather data from the medical records and will capture information on patients’ demographic data, presenting complaints, relevant examination findings, globe preservation modality employed for the patient and outcome. The data will then be entered into microsoft access for storage and later analysis using STATA version13. Descriptive statistics such as tables, frequencies, mode, median and means will be used to present the data. Kaplan-Meier estimates will be used to estimate the rate of relapse and development of new tumours among children undergoing retinoblastoma treatment. Rate of globe salvage and visual outcomes will also be determined. Results will be presented in form of tables, charts and graphs.