THREE-DIMENSIONAL ULTRASOUND EXAMINATION IN OPHTHALMOLOGY – INITIAL EXPERIENCE IN VARIOUS EYE DISEASE

• Main Author: Dušica Pahor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Slovenian Medical Association 2003-12-01
• Series: Zdravniški Vestnik
• Subjects: ophthalmic ultrasonography; 3D ultrasonography; ophthalmology; ultrasonography
• Online Access: http://vestnik.szd.si/index.php/ZdravVest/article/view/2235
• ISSN: 1318-0347; 1581-0224

<p>Background. The use of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography in ophthalmology presents in our country a new clinical investigation, which give us a new ultrasound diagnostic possibilities in this field. The aim of this contribution was to present the use of 3D ultrasound examination in various ocular diseases and to find out advantages and disadvantages of this method in comparison with standard ultrasonography.</p><p><br />Patients and methods. Twelve patients hospitalized at Department of Ophthalmology in Teaching Hospital Maribor were selected for 3D ultrasound examination in addition to 2D ultrasonography between December 2002 and March 2003. The examination was performed in patient with chorioidal melanoma, exudative maculopathy, subchorioidal haemorrhage, retinal detachment, phthysis of the eye after injury, optic nerve trauma, retrobulbar neuritis, in 2 patients with vitreous haemorrhages, in 2 patients with uveitis and in 2 patients with retinal detachment.</p><p>Results. In all patients after standardized ultrasonography (2D), which already confirmed or determined the diagnosis, 3D ultrasonography was performed. In patients with exudative maculopathy and retinal detachment we found no advantages with this method. The same findings were also in patient with optic nerve disease and optic nerve trauma. In patient with vitreous haemorrhage and in patient with subhorioidal haemorrhage the changes were more evident with 3D ultrasonography. The real advantage of 3D ultrasonography was in patient with choroidal melanoma, where measurements of tumor heigh, volume and determination of tumor localisation were more accurate.</p><p>Conclusions. 3D ultrasonography allows the precise assessment of three-dimensional structures. Our experiences with 3D ultrasonography in ophthalmology suggest advantages of this method for measurement of lenght, area and volume of ocular tumors, particularly malignant melanoma and for evaluation of structure, lenght and volume of traumatized eye, such is phthysis. A further study with larger number of patients is necessary to confirm our findings.</p>