Retinoblastoma so worried

[MissAnxiety]

Hi everyone ive really scared myself now.
Last night I was taking pictures of my 2 year old and in two of the pictures her left pupil is reflecting white. Now im in a state of panic. I rang up the opticians this morning and they said she is too young for them to check her but to take her to hospital on Tuesday to see a specialist. Now I keep thinking is this why her glands are still up.
Has anyone else had photos like this of their child, and what was the reason?
Thanks for reading and any responses would be really appreciated x

[Annie0904]

As a mother myself I know how this must be worrying you but the most common cause is... light entering the eye at a certain angle may be reflected from the optic nerve. It becomes magnified and the white eye effect may be seen.
There are many other non serious reasons why this may have happened but I would still recommend that you have her eye checked to find out the cause. Do you have an out of hours walk in centre at your doctors? I am guessing you would need a referral from a gp to see the eye specialist.

[MissAnxiety]

Thanks for the reply. Im praying it is just a reflection from the flash that has caught her eye funny and not anything else. No I haven't had a referral, I just spoke to an optician and he said to go to my local hospital to see a ophthalmologist on Tuesday afer the bank holiday to get her checked. Im hoping it is a simple test so I don't have to wait for results and that her glands are just coincidence x

[Annie0904]

Like I said there are many non serious reasons for it but I know that won't stop you worrying. Let me know how you get on when you see the ophthalmologist.

[MissAnxiety]

Yes I will thankyou. Have yours ever had this problem as you seem to know about it, I only know cause ive been frantically reading up on it? Xxx

[Annie0904]

No they haven't but I had a quick read up on it to reassure you that it could be something less harmful :)

[unsure_about_this]

Hi I remember when I was a child in first school (age 4-7) my school photographs every year because of the flash when the photos came back had white squares where my eyes were, but surprising when it was the form photo it was not affected, as a child none of the photos took by my parents, family members had white light reflecting/squares etc

I did go to the opticians as my parents took me every year as well as my sister. When I was nine of the opticians did spot something which was not retinoblastoma, I do have NF so needed a brain scan to see what was wrong, I think it was either a bright spot, of a cafe au lait mark (but as I have grown older, from the 1st scan to the 2nd can at 11 and 12 had got smaller) and at 18/19 nothing worrying was spotted.

I am quite surprise that no other optician picked this up not even when I went to the hospital for eye check ups it was picked up when I was a child.

[Fishmanpa]

So let me get a grip on what you're saying... you say you took pictures of your little one and saw something in a couple of the photos. How many photos did you take vs. the two that had the funny reflection?

Flashes do strange things to eyes in photos. I'm thinking it's just that and nothing sinister whatsoever.

Positive thoughts

[MissAnxiety]

Thank you really appreciate it as I have been reading about it but don't want to google as I know I will end up in a mess. I have just looked about eye specialist and my local hospital has a proper eye centre for testing and looking at problems so thats probably why I have been told to go straight there. Tuesday feels so long away xxx

---------- Post added at 17:06 ---------- Previous post was at 16:59 ----------

Thank you for your repies.
Fishmanpa this time I don't think it is my anxiety, obviously it doesn't help but in children inder 5 it is really important to see red eye in photos with flash, and when there is one red eye and one bright white that shows up they say to get it checked straight away. Xxx

[Annie0904]

Check as some A&E departments have eye centres that might be open before Tuesday. Keep in your mind though that most reasons for this are NOT serious.

[MissAnxiety]

I will have a look to see what's open but not sure if the local hospital clinics will be open if mine isn't xxx

[Fishmanpa]

Check as some A&E departments have eye centres that might be open before Tuesday. Keep in your mind though that most reasons for this are NOT serious.

AND... it's a VERY rare condition.

Positive thoughts

[Annie0904]

Yes it is very rare :)

[MissAnxiety]

Thank you fishman I really hope so xx

[Annie0904]

Hi I was just wondering if you have been to the hospital? One of my friends posted a picture of her 3 children on facebook tonight and all 3 of them had white eyes. I guess in that instance it had to be the way the flash caught them. I hope that is the case with your daughter too.

[MissAnxiety]

Hey annie.
She has had the all clear thank god. Went to casualty in the morning and she was examined got told all was fine.
A few hours later had a phone call from the big hospital and told us to get straight up there as the doctor that seen her wasn't qualified to give her the all clear and the picture was showing exactly what they would look for to see a tumour. Completely freaked me out.
Got the all clear from the ophthalmologist but have to go back in 2 weeks just to double check.
So glad I took her and didn't put it down to anxiety. Thanks for your support xxx

[Annie0904]

That phone call would have frightened me to death! I am pleased she has got the all clear. Well worth having it checked it out.
When my son was 6 months old (now 24) a trainee health visitor came to visit and I got a phone call from her later saying she thought he might have hydrocephalus! His head circumference was off the centile chart. She said she would refer him to the hospital.
I totally panicked!! I called my GP and he said that from what he had observed with his development he was fine but because the health visitor had referred him they would have to follow it through. He had to have a brain scan. Luckily everything was fine. (Just a big head :) ).