Background/aim To report the outcomes of retinoblastoma group E eyes with neovascular glaucoma (NVG) treated conservatively with intravenous chemotherapy and investigate factors associated with eye salvage and secondary enucleation.

Methods This is a retrospective, comparative, interventional case series. The outcome measures were life salvage, eye salvage and vision salvage.

Results Of the 37 eyes managed by intravenous chemotherapy, secondary enucleation was necessary in 21 eyes (group 1) and eye salvage was possible in 16 eyes (group 2). A comparison of both groups revealed significant difference with group 1 demonstrating greater duration of symptoms (18.8 weeks vs 5.4 weeks, p=0.016), greater intraocular pressure (IOP) at presentation (36 mm Hg vs 30 mm Hg, p=0.044), greater increase in corneal diameter (1.52 mm vs 0.50 mm, p=0.013) and the presence of sterile orbital cellulitis (9 vs 1, p=0.023). Further, the risk factors for secondary enucleation by univariate analysis were duration of symptoms >10 weeks (p=0.003), presenting IOP >26 mm Hg (p=0.045), buphthalmos (p=0.014) and sterile orbital cellulitis (p=0.023) and by multivariate analysis were age at presentation >6 months (p=0.012) and buphthalmos (p=0.017). At a mean follow-up of 20.5 months, none of the patients in either group developed systemic metastasis.

Conclusion For retinoblastoma group E eyes presenting with NVG, the chance of eye salvage with intravenous chemotherapy is better when the age at diagnosis is <6 months, duration of symptoms is <10 weeks, IOP is <26 mm Hg, and in the absence buphthalmos and sterile orbital inflammation.