B-scan ultrasonography in ophthalmic diseases.

Real time B-scan ultrasonography was utilised on 318 eyes of 298 patients for evaluation of 285 (90%) eyes with opaque media; three (1%) eyes, with clear media but suspected intraocular abnormalities and for proptosis in 30 (9%) cases. Two hundred and nine (66%) eyes had one or more detectable abnormalities. The most common abnormality was retinal detachment (39%) followed by vitreous opacities (31%), eye ball size abnormalities (12%), intraocular foreign bodies (4%), posterior staphyloma (3%) and retinal detachment with vitreous opacities (2%). Twenty eight out of thirty patients evaluated for proptosis had abnormal orbital tissue patterns. Solid and cystic tissue patterns each accounted for 32% of the abnormal orbital studies followed by thyroid orbitopathy (25%), non specific (7%), and infiltrative (4%) tissue patterns. Detailed findings of B-scan ultrasonographic study is given in this paper. The paper reports further experience with the procedure in a developing country. In areas where other imaging techniques are not available the procedure is a valuable method of evaluating the eye and orbit for any detectable abnormalities and for planning management.