Clinic and by Ultrasound Biomicroscopy Correlation in Corneal Opacities

Abstract

 

Purpose:

 

To correlate clinical evaluation and ultrabiomicroscopy in patients with corneal opacities.

 

Methods:

 

Patients with corneal opacities of different etiologies but infection nor inflammation were evaluated clinically and by UBM at 50 - 80 MHz resolution with a Paradigm P45 ultrabiomicroscope (Paradigm, Rochester UK). Six images per case were performed. Opacities were stratified into 4 groups according to correlation tables between slit lamp examination and UBM images: group I superficial (superior third), group II middle (superior and medium third), group III deep (deeper third), group IV total (complete corneal thickness). Presence or absence of synechias, new vessels, and characteristics of anterior segment were recorded. Results were analyzed by x² (SPSS 13.0 program).

 

Results:

 

26 patients were included. Age was 43.46 in average. 46% infection secuelae, 23% corresponded to interstitial keratitis, 19% trauma, and 12% postoperative penetrating keratoplasty (PK). UBM demonstrated advantages to evaluate opacities level (p<0.0025) synechias (p<0.01) and anterior segment characteristics (p<0.05), than slit lamp examination. Evaluation of new vessels were equal with both methods (p>0.20).

 

Conclusions:

 

UBM is a useful tool to evaluate specific details about level opacities as deep and thickness, synechias and anterior segment.  

 

Keywords: cornea: clinical science • imaging/image analysis: clinical