Role Of B–Mode Ultrasound In The Evaluation Of Orbital Masses.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Blindness and Vision impairment cause significant morbidity amongst Indian population. According to WHO estimates, about 20.5 % people in India are categorized as blind while 22.2 % people have low vision. The orbital masses owing to the small anatomical volume of orbit can cause devastating consequences. Ultrasound and colour doppler are useful in analysis of orbital masses with real time evaluation, excellent soft tissue resolution, localisation, and benign or malignant nature of masses. This study evaluates the role of ultrasound in orbital masses.Aim: To study the role of ultrasound in evaluation and identification of orbital masses.Study design & settings Prospective observational study in ultrasound unit of a rural hospital in central India.Materials and methods: Atotal of 316 consenting patients were studied for 1 year using high frequency linear and curved probes. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software (IBM Inc.)Results:Out of the 316 patients, total 15 cases were identified to have orbital masses. Most common orbital mass lesions observed were lacrimal gland tumours. Most of the masses were extraconal in location and most common ultrasound appearance of the lesions was solid with most of the malignant masses showing vascularity on colour doppler imaging.Conclusion:Ultrasound can identify and characterize orbital masses based on appearance and echotexture with accurate localisation. It is cheap and easily available with no radiation hazards Pre-operative ultrasound and Colour Doppler evaluation of orbit can help in predicting prognosis of the disease.