Hyphaema as a presenting sign of retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is an intraocular malignancy that mainly affects children under 5 years of age. Although the classic signs are leukocoria and strabismus, some advanced cases manifest as spontaneous hyphaema, an accumulation of blood in the anterior chamber of the eye. This retrospective study, carried out on 38 patients between 2013 and 2020 at the Cliniques Universitaires de Kinshasa and Hôpital Saint Joseph, analyzes the frequency and clinical profile of hyphaema associated with retinoblastoma. Results show that hyphaema was present in 18.4% of retinoblastoma patients, with an average age at diagnosis of 3.3 years. The international classification of retinoblastoma reveals a predominance of Reese stage E and stage V. This work highlights the importance of considering hyphema as a potential sign of retinoblastoma, contributing to earlier diagnosis and better patient management.