[Imaging diagnosis of medial and lateral orbital wall fractures. Sonography versus computed tomography]

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of a curved array scanner in the diagnosis of medial and lateral orbital wall fractures.

Fifty-three patients with the clinical diagnosis of an orbital trauma were investigated prospectively within a period of 16 months by CT and ultrasonography. The intraoperative findings were used as a reference.

CT reached a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96% in the diagnosis of medial orbital wall fractures, while ultrasound yielded a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 96%. There was no significant difference found between CT and ultrasonography ( p=0.402). In the investigation of lateral orbital wall fractures, CT reached a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 87%, while ultrasonography yielded a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 95%. Ultrasonography achieved significantly better results than CT ( p=0.008).

The ultrasound investigation with a curved array scanner could be used as an additional method in the diagnosis of medial and lateral orbital wall fractures. Further technical improvements of the transducers need to be developed to increase the sensitivity of ultrasound in the diagnosis of medial orbital wall fractures.