CT in the Evaluation of Acute Injuries of the Anterior Eye Segment

Characteristics and scoring method of computed tomography in open-globe injuries

BACKGROUND

Open-globe injuries (OGIs) remain the important cause of visual impairment and loss in all ages. Computed Tomography (CT) is a useful and common tool in the evaluation of the injuries of the eyeball. Prognostic value of CT scan in OGIs has been evaluated in many studies. However, there is no published consistent systematic scoring method for CT scan in OGIs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the CT characteristics of OGIs and build a scoring method according to the CT scans which may aid the clinicians in management of OGIs.

METHODS

Retrospective chart review of inpatients with clinical diagnosis of OGIs between 2017 and 2021 at Department of Ophthalmology, Henan Eye Institute, Henan Eye Hospital, Henan provincial People's Hospital (Zhengzhou, China).

RESULTS

There were 1120 eyes from 1117 patients included in our study. The mean age was 35.7 ± 21.9 years with the range from 1 to 91 years. Significant male predominance was noted (889, 79.6%). CT scans of the OGIs were evaluated. Abnormality of anterior segment, posterior segment, and globe contour and volume were graded respectively. The most serious abnormality of anterior segment, posterior segment, and globe contour and volume were grade 3, 4 and 3 respectively and score 3, 4 and 3 respectively. Score of the CT scans of an open-injured globe ranged from 0 to 10. The correlation coefficient between the score and wound length was 0.798. The correlation coefficient between the score and final visual acuity was 0.799. In 78 eyes with 0 score, 70 eyes (89.7%) gained final visual acuity of 0.3 or better. In 31 eyes with 10 score, 20 eyes (64.5%) underwent evisceration of the eye globe and 10 eyes got visual acuity of no light perception and 1 eye lost to follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

CT scans is a useful tool in evaluating the severity of an open-injured globe. Scoring of the CT scans of an open-injured globe is a meaningful attempt and it may provide useful prognostic information regarding the outcome of an open-injured globe.

Orbital compartment syndrome: Pearls and pitfalls for the emergency physician

Orbital compartment syndrome (OCS) is a rare, vision-threatening diagnosis that requires rapid identification and immediate treatment for preservation of vision. Because of the time-sensitive nature of this condition, the emergency physician plays a critical role in the diagnosis and management of OCS, which is often caused by traumatic retrobulbar hemorrhage. In this review, we outline pearls and pitfalls for the identification and treatment of OCS, highlighting lateral canthotomy and inferior cantholysis (LCIC), a crucial skill for the emergency physician. We recommend adequate preparation for the diagnosis and procedure, early consultation to ophthalmology, clear and thorough documentation of the physical examination, avoidance of iatrogenic injury during LCIC, and complete division of the inferior canthal tendon. Emergency physicians should avoid failing to make the diagnosis of OCS, delaying definitive surgical treatment, overrelying on imaging, failing to decrease intraocular pressure, and failing to exclude globe rupture. The emergency physician should be appropriately trained to identify signs and symptoms of OCS and perform LCIC in a timely manner.

Point of care ultrasound and ocular injuries: A case of lens dislocation and a comprehensive review of the literature

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can help the clinician diagnose different ocular pathologies including retinal detachment, vitreous detachment, lens dislocation, and intraocular foreign bodies. Ocular pathologies such as blurry vision, double vision, loss of vision, and eye trauma are common chief complaints and require a comprehensive evaluation in order to determine the etiology and choose the correct treatment. Specifically ultrasound can help the clinician decide whether an urgent ophthalmology consult is appropriate. We present a case in which a lens dislocation was diagnosed using POCUS and review the available literature.

Diagnosis of Traumatic Eye Injuries With Point-of-Care Ocular Ultrasonography in the Emergency Department

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Traumatic eye injuries are common emergency department presentations worldwide, and diagnosis may be delayed because of concurrent injuries and lack of guidelines in regard to the utility of clinical examination, computed tomography (CT), and point-of-care ultrasonography. In this study, we compare point-of-care ultrasonography with ophthalmologist clinical examination and CT for 6 types of traumatic eye injury.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study evaluating patients with suspected traumatic eye injury who were recruited at an academic medical center in Tabriz, Iran. Each patient was evaluated by an emergency physician with point-of-care ultrasonography using a 7- to 15-MHz linear transducer, by a radiologist with orbital CT imaging, and by an ophthalmologist with a complete bedside ocular examination. Obtained results were tabulated. Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were subsequently calculated. Cohen's κ was assessed to evaluate the agreement between ocular point-of-care ultrasonography with orbital CT and point-of-care ultrasonography with complete bedside ocular examination.

RESULTS

Two hundred thirty-two patients (351 eyes) with suspected traumatic eye injury were included. In all measures of accuracy, diagnosis by point-of-care ultrasonography compared favorably with CT and a complete bedside ocular examination by an ophthalmologist in the 6 ocular injury patterns included in this study. Compared with CT imaging, point-of-care ultrasonography provided a specificity of 99.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 97.8% to 99.9%) and a sensitivity of 96.8% (95% CI 83.3% to 99.9%) in the diagnosis of lens dislocation, and a specificity of 99.7% (95% CI 98.3% to 100.0%) and sensitivity of 95.7% (95% CI 78.1% to 99.9%) in the diagnosis of retrobulbar hematoma. Compared with complete bedside ocular examination by an ophthalmologist, point-of-care ultrasonography provided a specificity of 98.7% (95% CI 96.7% to 99.6%) and sensitivity of 97.8% (95% CI 88.2% to 99.9%) in the diagnosis of vitreous hemorrhage. In all injury types, positive likelihood ratios were high and negative ones were low.

CONCLUSION

Point-of-care ultrasonography demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of traumatic eye injury, and represents a valuable diagnostic tool in addition to orbital CT and complete beside ocular examination by an ophthalmologist in the diagnosis of traumatic eye injury.