Abstract
Purpose: :
To compare image quality, depth of penetration into ocular structures and efficacy of two imaging technologies for diagnosis and evaluation of tumors of the anterior segment of the eye
Methods: :
Patients with tumors of the anterior segment of the eye (iris, ciliary body, conjunctiva, cornea, iris pigment epithelium and sclera) evaluated at the Oncology Service, Wills Eye Institute, Philadelphia, PA, between June 2008 and July 2009 underwent both high frequency (50 Mhz) ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT)
Results: :
There were 171 eyes included. Tumor location was iris in 117 (68%) cases, conjunctiva in 5 (3%), ciliary body in 11 (7%), iridociliary in 25 (15%), and other in 13 (8%). Diagnoses included nevus in 64 (37%), melanoma in 47 (28%), cyst in 33 (19%), and others in 27 (16%). The anterior margin of the mass was visualized with both techniques. The posterior margin was visualized in 89% of UBM images versus 31% of the AS-OCT. Tumor shadowing was found in 5% of UBM versus 60% of AS-OCT images. Internal image quality of the mass was similar in both. Better overall tumor visualization was obtained in 106 (62%) of the UBM images against 65 (38%) of AS-OCT. Ciliary body tumors were better visualized with UBM while conjunctival lesions were better seen on AS-OCT.
Conclusions: :
UBM showed deeper penetration into ocular structures with less shadowing and with better overall visualization of ciliary body tumors, while AS-OCT provided better imaging of superficial lesions involving the conjunctiva and/or cornea.
Keywords: anterior segment • tumors • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound)