B-scan With 20 Mhz High-resolution Probe In The Diagnosis Of Macular Edema And Macular Hole

Abstract

Purpose: : To assess B-scan sensibility and specificity with 20 MHz high-resolution probe in the diagnosis of macular edema and macular hole stage III-IV

Methods: : In a prospective single blinded study, 50 patients affected by macular edema with Central Retinal Thickness (CRT) ≥ 250 µ diagnosed by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) (Stratus OCT; Carl Zeiss Inc., Dublin, CA, USA) and 50 healthy controls without morphologic abnormalities on OCT and CRT < 250 µ underwent B-scan echography (Cine Scan S, Quantel Medical SA, Le Brezet, France) with 20 MHz high resolution probe; also, in 25 patients affected by idiopathic macular hole stage III-IV diagnosed by OCT, and in 25 healthy subjects, B-scan echography with 20 MHz high resolution probe was performed.Echography was performed by a single ophthalmologist who was not aware of the diagnosis made by OCT

Results: : B scan echography allowed to detect macular edema in 45 of 50 eyes (90%) and macular hole in 23 of 25 eyes (92%). The sensitivity, specificity and AUC of ROC curves of the B-scan were respectively 90%, 100% and 0.950 for the diagnosis of macular edema and 92%, 100% and 0.960 for the diagnosis of macular hole

Conclusions: : B-scan with 20 MHz high-resolution probe showed high sensibility and specificity in the diagnosis of macular edema and macular hole stage III-IV. This could be a useful diagnostic tool when it’s not possible to perform OCT.

Keywords: imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) • macula/fovea • macular holes