LEUKOCORIA

Course overview

LEUKOCORIA MEANS ‘WHITE PUPIL’ OR ‘CAT’S EYE PUPIL.’ LEUKOCORIA IS AN ABNORMAL PUPILLARY REFLEX MORE CLEARLY SEEN AFTER MYDRIASIS OR PHOTOGRAPHY. IT IS OFTEN THE FIRST SIGN OF A RANGE OF SERIOUS INTRAOCULAR DISORDERS, INCLUDING CONGENITAL CATARACTS, COATS DISEASE, RETINOBLASTOMA, RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY, TOXOCARIASIS, NORRIE DISEASE, AND RETROLENTAL FIBROPLASIA. IMMEDIATE DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT ARE MANDATORY AS MOST CONDITIONS ARE VISION-THREATENING, AND SOME ARE LIFE-THREATENING. THE NORMAL RED REFLEX OF THE HUMAN EYE IS DUE TO THE RETRO-ILLUMINATION OF NORMAL CHOROIDAL VASCULATURE REFLECTING THROUGH THE RETINA, VITREOUS, LENS, PUPIL, AND CORNEA. ANY INTERFERENCE IN THESE STRUCTURES WOULD GIVE AN ALTERED RED REFLEX OR LEUKOCORIA. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF LEUKOCORIA AND THE ROLE OF INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAMWORK IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH UNDERLYING CONDITIONS.