Leukocoria (also white pupillary reflex) is an abnormal white reflection from the

retina The retina (from la, rete "net") is the innermost, light-sensitive layer of tissue of the eye of most vertebrates and some molluscs. The optics of the eye create a focused two-dimensional image of the visual world on the retina, which the ...

of the eye. Leukocoria resembles eyeshine, but leukocoria can also occur in animals that lack eyeshine because their retina lacks a ''

tapetum lucidum The ''tapetum lucidum'' ( ; ; ) is a layer of tissue in the eye of many vertebrates and some other animals. Lying immediately behind the retina, it is a retroreflector. It reflects visible light back through the retina, increasing the light a ...

''. Leukocoria is a

medical sign Signs and symptoms are the observed or detectable signs, and experienced symptoms of an illness, injury, or condition. A sign for example may be a higher or lower temperature than normal, raised or lowered blood pressure or an abnormality showi ...

for a number of conditions, including Coats disease,

congenital cataract Congenital cataracts refers to a lens opacity which is present at birth. Congenital cataracts cover a broad spectrum of severity: whereas some lens opacities do not progress and are visually insignificant, others can produce profound visual impa ...

, corneal scarring,

melanoma Melanoma, also redundantly known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas typically occur in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye ( ...

of the

ciliary body The ciliary body is a part of the eye that includes the ciliary muscle, which controls the shape of the lens, and the ciliary epithelium, which produces the aqueous humor. The aqueous humor is produced in the non-pigmented portion of the ciliar ...

Norrie disease Norrie disease is a rare disease and genetic disorder that primarily affects the eyes and almost always leads to blindness. It is caused by mutations in the ''Norrin cystine knot growth factor (NDP)'' gene, which is located on the X chromosome. ...

, ocular

toxocariasis Toxocariasis is an illness of humans caused by the dog roundworm (''Toxocara canis'') and, less frequently, the cat roundworm ('' Toxocara cati'').https://academic.oup.com/ajcp/article/142/suppl_1/A104/1771175 Eosinophilic Pseudoleukemia Due to T ...

, persistence of the tunica vasculosa lentis (PFV/PHPV), retinoblastoma, and

retrolental fibroplasia Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), also called retrolental fibroplasia (RLF) and Terry syndrome, is a disease of the eye affecting prematurely born babies generally having received neonatal intensive care, in which oxygen therapy is used due to ...

. Because of the potentially life-threatening nature of retinoblastoma, a

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

, that condition is usually considered in the evaluation of leukocoria. In some rare cases (1%) the leukocoria is caused by

Coats' disease Coats' disease is a rare congenital, nonhereditary eye disorder, causing full or partial blindness, characterized by abnormal development of blood vessels behind the retina. Coats' disease can also fall under glaucoma. It can have a similar pr ...

(leaking retinal vessels).

Diagnosis

On photographs taken using a flash, instead of the familiar

red-eye effect The red-eye effect in photography is the common appearance of red pupils in color photographs of the eyes of humans and several other animals. It occurs when using a photographic flash that is very close to the camera lens (as with most compact ...

, leukocoria can cause a bright white reflection in an affected eye. Leukocoria may appear also in low indirect light, similar to eyeshine. Leukocoria can be detected by a routine eye exam (see

Ophthalmoscopy Ophthalmoscopy, also called funduscopy, is a test that allows a health professional to see inside the fundus of the eye and other structures using an ophthalmoscope (or funduscope). It is done as part of an eye examination and may be done as part ...

). For screening purposes, the red reflex test is used. In this test, when a light is shone briefly through the

pupil The pupil is a black hole located in the center of the Iris (anatomy), iris of the Human eye, eye that allows light to strike the retina.Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. (1990) ''Dictionary of Eye Terminology''. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishing ...

, an orange red reflection is normal. A white reflection is leukocoria. Image:Fundus photograph-normal retina EDA06.JPG, A normal human fundus Image:Fundus retinoblastoma.jpg, A fundus with retinoblastoma

Society

* The fictional serial killer known as "The Collector", the main antagonist of the films ''

The Collector ''The Collector'' is a 1963 thriller novel by English author John Fowles, in his literary debut. Its plot follows a lonely, psychotic young man who kidnaps a female art student in London and holds her captive in the cellar of his rural farmhous ...

'' (2009) and '' The Collection'' (2012), had the condition in both eyes. (confirmed by first movie actor Juan Fernández de Alarcon)

References

External links

{{Eye pathology Eye diseases Medical signs