National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Retinoblastoma


Other Names:
RB; Retinal tumor; Retinal cancer; RB; Retinal tumor; Retinal cancer; Eye cancer, retinoblastoma See More
Categories:
Retinoblastoma (RB) is a rare type of eye cancer in the retina that typically develops before the age of 5. It usually affects only one eye, but 1/3 of children with RB develop cancer in both eyes. The first sign is typically a visible whiteness in the pupil called "cat's eye reflex" or leukocoria, which is particularly noticeable in photographs taken with a flash. Other signs and symptoms include strabismus; persistent eye pain, redness or irritation; and blindness or poor vision in the affected eye(s). Retinoblastoma is caused by mutations in the RB1 gene. In about 60% of people with retinoblastoma, mutations are not inherited and occur only in retinal cells. In the other 40% of individuals, mutations are inherited from a parent in an autosomal dominant pattern and can be found in all body cells.[1] Retinoblastoma that is caused by an inherited mutation is called hereditary retinoblastoma. Hereditary retinoblastoma usually occurs at a younger age than retinoblastoma that is not inherited (15 months vs. 24 months). Retinoblastoma that occurs in only one eye is usually not inherited. Retinoblastoma that occurs in both eyes is thought to be inherited.[2]
Last updated: 4/4/2012

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
100% of people have these symptoms
Retinoblastoma 0009919
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Glaucoma 0000501
Hypopyon 0031615
Leukocoria 0000555
Proptosis
Bulging eye
Eyeballs bulging out
Prominent eyes
Prominent globes
Protruding eyes
[ more ] 		0000520
Strabismus
Cross-eyed
Squint
Squint eyes
[ more ] 		0000486
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Abnormality of retinal pigmentation 0007703
Cellulitis
Bacterial infection of skin
Skin infection
[ more ] 		0100658
Heterochromia iridis
Different colored eyes
0001100
Hyphema 0011886
Leiomyosarcoma 0100243
Leukemia 0001909
Lymphoma
Cancer of lymphatic system
0002665
Melanoma 0002861
Osteosarcoma
Bone cell cancer
0002669
Red eye 0025337
Reduced visual acuity
Decreased clarity of vision
0007663
Retinal calcification 0007862
Rhabdomyosarcoma 0002859
Subretinal pigment epithelium hemorrhage 0025244
Uveitis 0000554
Vitreous hemorrhage 0007902
Vitritis 0011531
1%-4% of people have these symptoms
Cleft palate
Cleft roof of mouth
0000175
Ewing sarcoma 0012254
Glioma 0009733
Pineoblastoma 0030408
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006
Pinealoma 0010799
Somatic mutation 0001428
Sporadic
No previous family history
0003745
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

Making a diagnosis for a genetic or rare disease can often be challenging. Healthcare professionals typically look at a person’s medical history, symptoms, physical exam, and laboratory test results in order to make a diagnosis. The following resources provide information relating to diagnosis and testing for this condition. If you have questions about getting a diagnosis, you should contact a healthcare professional.

Testing Resources

  • The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics professional.

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Related diseases are conditions that have similar signs and symptoms. A health care provider may consider these conditions in the table below when making a diagnosis. Please note that the table may not include all the possible conditions related to this disease.

Conditions with similar signs and symptoms from Orphanet
Differential diagnoses, particularly in unilateral cases, include anterior chamber or lens abnormalities especially PHPV (persistence of hyperplastic vitreous), toxocariasis, X-linked retinoschisis, uveitis, medulloepithelioma, von Hippel disease, Norrie disease, retinopathy of prematurity and Coats disease (the most difficult differential diagnosis).
Visit the Orphanet disease page for more information.

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Retinoblastoma. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Living with a genetic or rare disease can impact the daily lives of patients and families. These resources can help families navigate various aspects of living with a rare disease.

Financial Resources

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Retinoblastoma. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.
  • MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.
  • The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library provides information on this condition for patients and caregivers. 
  • The National Cancer Institute provides the most current information on cancer for patients, health professionals, and the general public.
  • The National Eye Institute (NEI) was established by Congress in 1968 to protect and prolong the vision of the American people. Click on the link to view information on this topic. 
  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.

In-Depth Information

  • GeneReviews provides current, expert-authored, peer-reviewed, full-text articles describing the application of genetic testing to the diagnosis, management, and genetic counseling of patients with specific inherited conditions.
  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Retinoblastoma. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.

  1. Retinoblastoma. Genetics Home Reference. April 2009; http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=retinoblastoma. Accessed 4/29/2011.
  2. General Information About Retinoblastoma. Retinoblastoma Treatment (PDQ). March 2012; http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/retinoblastoma/patient. Accessed 4/2/2012.