Late diagnosis of retinoblastoma in a developing country

Autor: Enrique Schvartzman, Adriana Fandiño, Luis Urrutia, Guillermo L. Chantada, Julio Manzitti
Rok vydání: 1999
Předmět:
Zdroj: Archives of Disease in Childhood. 80:171-174
ISSN: 1468-2044
0003-9888
DOI: 10.1136/adc.80.2.171
Popis: Objectives—To assess the diagnostic process of retinoblastoma in a developing country. Study design—Prospective survey of 95 consecutive parents of patients with retinoblastoma. Results—Fifty six parents consulted initially with a paediatrician. Their children tended to be younger, with a significantly higher frequency of advanced disease. Only half of the patients who consulted with a paediatrician were appropriately referred to an ophthalmologist; the paediatrician underestimated the complaints in the remainder. Children taken to an ophthalmologist were older and had less advanced disease. In about three quarters of these children, a diagnosis of retinoblastoma was suspected by the ophthalmologist on the first visit. Parents of patients with more advanced disease consulted significantly later. Poor parental education correlated significantly with late consultation. Lack of health insurance and living outside Buenos Aires City correlated significantly with an increased risk of extraocular disease. Conclusions—Paediatricians are the first health professional seen by most children with retinoblastoma. However, the diagnosis is not readily established. There is also a delay in consultation by parents, which is significantly longer in cases with advanced extraocular disease. Socioeconomic factors and access to health care might play a role in delayed diagnosis. (Arch Dis Child 1999;80:171‐174)
Databáze: OpenAIRE