Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) can provide excellent pictures of anterior uvea, vitreous base and peripheral retina in patients with intermediate uveitis, but UBM may be not always available when needed. The aim of this study was to compare the information which can be obtained in such patients using UBM and an ultrasound unit with a lower frequency probe. Methods: Six eyes of five (2 male, 3 female ) patients aged between 12 and 35 (mean 21) years with clinical diagnosis of intermediate uveitis were evaluated both with 50 MHz probe of UBM (Paradigm mod. P40) and 20MHz immersion probe of Cinescan S (Quantel Medical). Posterior synechiae in one eye and vitreous opacities in another eye with severe hypotony prevented fundoscopy. Results: Exudative material and/or membranes over the pars plana and peripheral retina mostly inferiorly (snowbank) were found in 100% of eyes with 50 and 20 MHz probe, although resolution of the latter was poor. A comprehensive view of inflammatory material encompassing the lens equator of three out of six eyes was better evidenced at 20MHz, as well as the anterior vitreous involvement and the extent of ciliary body traction bands in the hypotonic eye. No ciliary body detachment or vitreoretinal traction bands could be found in our series. UBM was superior for visualisation of angle structures, synechiae , retroirideal exudates (one eye) and details of parsplanitis. Conclusions: Ultrasound examination with both (50 and 20 MHz) probes and thus different resolution could confirm the clinical diagnosis of IU, but was really crucial only in the two eyes with small pupil and dense vitritis. UBM can provide details useful for follow up evaluation , but a diagnosis of UI can be reached also using a lower resolution which could image the typical snowbank in all eyes. Both ultrasound systems should be used to obtain the best information in selected cases of UI where vitreoretinal and/or cataract surgery has to be planned.
Keywords: uveitis-clinical/animal model • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) • imaging/image analysis: clinical