Venous stasis orbitopathy: a clinical and echographic study

A variety of acute and chronic orbitopathies may be distinguished by standardised echography. Venous stasis orbitopathy (VSO) often presents with orbital signs when secondary to cavernous sinus and middle cranial fossa disorders. In this study, the aim was to assess whether differentiation between vascular and nonvascular causes of VSO could be made on the basis of clinical and echographic features at the time of presentation.

This study comprised 37 patients with echographic features of VSO (17 patients with arteriovenous fistulae, confirmed by computed tomography imaging or angiography, and 20 patients with non-vascular diseases). Excluded were patients with orbital mass lesions detected by echography and muscle enlargement due to other causes (for example, orbital myositis). Patients with a suspected mass involving the orbital apex and echographic features of VSO were included. After full neuro-ophthalmic and ocular examination, both orbits were examined to document maximal thickness and reflectivity of four recti muscles and compared with the normal contralateral orbit with standardised A-scan (Kretz-technik 7200MA or Ophthascan) and contact B-scan (Ultrascan or Ophthascan S).

Cumulative ocular recti muscle thickness was significantly greater in patients with arteriovenous fistulae compared with the non-fistula group (23.3 (SD 3.7) and 17.8 (2) mm, p = 0.001). Clinically, the presence of a bruit and a uniocular rise in intraocular pressure were significantly greater in the fistula group of patients.

Standardised echography is a safe and non-invasive method of diagnosing VSO in patients presenting with signs of proptosis, ophthalmoplegia, and inflammation of the conjunctiva. Furthermore, using these standard techniques the two major causes of VSO (arteriovenous fistulae and compressive mass lesions) could be differentiated.