Semiautomated MRI-Based Method for Orbital Volume and Contour Analysis

The architecture of the orbital cavity is intricate, and precise measurement of its growth is essential for managing ocular and orbital pathologies. Most methods for those measurements are by CT imaging, although MRI for soft tissue assessment is indicated in many cases, specifically pediatric patients. This study introduces a novel semiautomated MRI-based approach for depicting orbital shape and dimensions.

A retrospective cohort study.

Patients with at least 1 normal orbit who underwent both CT and MRI imaging at a single center from 2015 to 2023.

Orbital dimensions included volume, horizontal and vertical lengths, and depth. These were determined by manual segmentation followed by 3-dimensional image processing software.

Differences in orbital measurements between MRI and CT scans.

Thirty-one patients (mean age 47.7 ± 23.8 years, 21 [67.7%]) females, were included. The mean differences in delta values between orbital measurements on CT versus MRI were: volume 0.03 ± 2.01 ml, horizontal length 0.53 ± 2.12 mm, vertical length, 0.36 ± 2.53 mm, and depth 0.97 ± 3.90 mm. The CT and. MRI orbital measurements were strongly correlated: volume (r = 0.92, p < 0.001), horizontal length (r = 0.65, p < 0.001), vertical length (r = 0.57, p = 0.001), and depth (r = 0.46, p = 0.009). The mean values of all measurements were similar on the paired-samples t test: p = 0.9 for volume (30.86 ± 5.04 ml on CT and 30.88 ± 4.92 ml on MRI), p = 0.2 for horizontal length, p = 0.4 for vertical length, and p = 0.2 for depth.

We present an innovative semiautomated method capable of calculating orbital volume and demonstrating orbital contour by MRI validated against the gold standard CT-based measurements. This method can serve as a valuable tool for evaluating diverse orbital processes.