State Institution “The Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases and Tissue Therapy of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine”, Odesa, Ukraine
Odesa National Medical University, Odesa, Ukraine
DOI 10.32782/2226-2008-2023-1-6
Glial retinal tumors are an extremely rare pathology that is little known to ophthalmologists and is practically not diagnosed at the stage of clinical examination. Morphologically, these tumors are similar to glial neoplasms of the brain, usually treated as astrocytomas or gliomas. In the ophthalmological literature, there are isolated examples of such glial neoplasms in the retina, found both against the background of tuberous sclerosis and outside of systemic disorders with a genetically burdened anamnesis. The purpose of this work is to present a unique case of a glial retinal tumor and, using its example, to discuss the clinical and morphological features of this pathology. Comparison of similar by histogenesis properties neoplasms, which are at opposite stages of their development, occupied a special place. Thus, a comparison was made between a glial tumor at an advanced stage of its development, which has fully manifested its negative biological properties, and a tumor that has not yet revealed its tumor characteristics. In the few descriptions of retinal glial tumors, the authors, as a rule, proceed from their relative cellular monomorphism. On this basis, it is customary to consider these neoplasms to be benign, which is demonstrated by the term “astrocytoma”. However, our observations do not allow us to agree with the benign nature of retinal glial tumors. Clinical and morphological analysis based on a comparison of rare retinal glial tumors (including those also described earlier) casts doubt on the benign nature of retinal gliomas. Based on this, we believe that it is correct to use the term “glioblastoma” for these retinal tumors. The terms “astrocytoma” or “astrocytic hamartoma” do not reflect the biological potency of these tumors.
Key words: retina, glial tumors, classification.
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