Comparative Assessment of RetCam Effectiveness in the Diagnosis of Small Retinoblastomas in Children
Abstract
Objective. To assess the diagnostic efficacy of the digital retinal camera RetCam compared to traditional ophthalmoscopy in detecting small retinoblastomas (≤3 mm) in children.
Material and methods. The study included 44 children (88 eyes) aged 3 months to 5 years old who were diagnosed with small retinoblastomas. All patients underwent a two-stage ophthalmologic examination using indirect ophthalmoscopy and RetCam. Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of the methods were evaluated.
Results. The RetCam method demonstrated higher sensitivity (95.5%) and specificity (92.1%) compared to ophthalmoscopy (81.8% and 85.2%, respectively). In 6 cases (13.6%), ophthalmoscopy failed to detect tumors, whereas RetCam successfully identified them. In 4 cases (9.1%), ophthalmoscopy produced false-positive results, which were corrected using RetCam. RetCam also provided detailed visualization of calcifications (18.2%) and hemorrhages (13.6%), allowing for more precise determination of tumor boundaries.
Conclusions. RetCam is a highly effective method for diagnosing small retinoblastomas in children, offering more accurate visualization of tumor foci compared to ophthalmoscopy. The use of RetCam increases the likelihood of early retinoblastoma detection, which plays a key role in treatment strategy selection and disease prognosis.
About the Authors
O. I. OripovRussian Federation
E. N. Bilalov
Russian Federation
R. Kh. Usmanov
Russian Federation
O. F. Vokhidov
Russian Federation
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Review
For citations:
Oripov O.I., Bilalov E.N., Usmanov R.Kh., Vokhidov O.F. Comparative Assessment of RetCam Effectiveness in the Diagnosis of Small Retinoblastomas in Children. Bashkortostan Medical Journal. 2025;20(2):63-66. (In Russ.)