Three-dimensional ultrasound of ophthalmic pathologies

To assess three-dimensional echography image quality and multiplanar imaging for the visualization of vitreoretinal and choroidal diseases.

In an observational cross-sectional study, 20 eyes of 20 patients presenting different vitreoretinal and choroidal pathologies have been evaluated with three-dimensional ultrasonography (3DUS).

Of the 20 eyes, an epiretinal membrane was present in 2 eyes, diabetic macular edema in 6, a macular hole in 2, a myopic posterior detachment in 2, myopic peripapillary detachment of the pigment epithelium in 1, choroidal melanoma in 4, optic nerve glioma in 1 case, carotidocavernous fistula in 1 and an intravitreal dislocation of an intraocular lens in 1 eye. 3DUS was effective in wide-field representation of the vitreoretinal interface during macular edema, in good-quality visualization of the dislocated intraocular lens and in calculating the volume of choroidal melanoma. No advantages were found in other evaluated cases if compared with the already existing imaging techniques.

One of the main advantages of 3DUS was the possibility to obtain a wide-field representation of spatial relationships between the lesions and the surrounding ocular structures.