Ultrasound imaging of the eye through the closed lid using a non-dedicated scanner

Through-the-lid eye scanning with general ultrasound equipment was initiated in a District General Hospital, to determine whether the technique is accurate in diagnosing ocular pathology. Two hundred consecutive scans were carried out on 184 patients. The examination was simple to perform with production of good images. One hundred and thirty-eight abnormalities were demonstrated, 80 of which were not previously known, with one false positive. The latter was an incorrect interpretation of an abnormal scan, which was diagnosed as a tumor but proved to be a haemorrhage. Ninety-four scans were negative, four of which were false negatives. Three of these were small, almost resolved vitreous haemorrhages, and one was a small melanoma. The method proved sensitive (92%) and specific (99%) in the detection and exclusion of intra-ocular disease. The investigation is, therefore, within the scope of the radiologist who does not have access to dedicated equipment.