Imaging in Ocular Tumor Staging
Staging of retinoblastoma in the United States and other developed
countries almost universally applies to intraocular retinoblastoma using
the International Classification for Intraocular Retinoblastoma, a
system that stratifies the chance of ocular sparing with current
treatments. For extraocular retinoblastoma, several classification
systems exist, including the International Retinoblastoma Staging System
and the American Joint Committee
on Cancer (AJCC) TNM Staging System, among others4. Choroidal invasion
and early stages of optic nerve invasion remain challenging by imaging.
As such, histopathologic evaluation remains the gold standard for such
invasion assessment. Regardless, optimized, high resolution imaging of
the orbit is critical in the preoperative assessment and
characterization of tumor location and extent, including identifying
extraocular invasion (e.g., optic nerve invasion) as it relates to these
staging systems 5.