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Pediatric retinal detachment due to Coats' disease diagnosed with bedside emergency department ultrasound
Aaron K Buzzard1, Derek R Linklater
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, Texas, USA.
Insights
Diagnosing atraumatic retinal detachment in children is difficult. High-resolution bedside ultrasonography in the Emergency Department successfully confirmed this rare, vision-threatening condition in a pediatric patient.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Atraumatic retinal detachment is a rare, vision-threatening condition in children.
- Pediatric patients often present challenges for history taking and physical examination.
- Prompt diagnosis is crucial for preserving vision.
Observation:
- A pediatric patient presented with suspected atraumatic retinal detachment.
- Traditional examination methods were challenging due to the patient's age.
- High-resolution bedside ultrasonography was employed for intraocular evaluation.
Findings:
- Bedside ultrasonography provided detailed structural images of the intraocular pathology.
- The imaging modality confirmed the suspected diagnosis of atraumatic retinal detachment.
- This facilitated timely clinical decision-making.
Implications:
- High-resolution bedside ultrasonography is a valuable tool for diagnosing pediatric retinal detachment.
- This imaging technique can aid Emergency Department practitioners in challenging pediatric cases.
- Early and accurate diagnosis can significantly improve visual outcomes in affected children.
Abstract:
Atraumatic retinal detachment in a pediatric patient is an extremely rare but vision-threatening disease process. Obtaining an adequate history and physical examination in children presenting with eye complaints can be extremely challenging, as young children are frequently unable to provide a good history or comply with a detailed physical examination. The use of high-resolution bedside ultrasonography in the Emergency Department can assist practitioners with obtaining detailed images of structural intraocular pathology. We present the unusual case of a suspected atraumatic retinal detachment in a pediatric patient that was confirmed using this novel imaging modality.
