EYE ULTRASOUND

Dr Jee Fan and Dr Heather Bowmer, Hawkes Bay Radiology, New Zealand

Abstract
Ultrasound (US) of the eye is simply and readily performed with a standard high resolution 10MHz transducer. With the patient’s eyes closed, the probe is placed gently on the eye lids. Standard KY gel is used as it is less irritant in case it gets into the eyes.
The patient ‘pretends’ to look straightforward while standard scans are performed in the Axial and Sagittal planes. Sweeping movements are made from inferior to superior in the axial plane and similarly side-to-side in the sagittal plane. This will cover all quadrants. To assess mobility of echoes, ask patient to pretend to ‘look from side to side’.

Useful tip: if a lesion sits in a certain quadrant, it comes into ‘optimal view’ when patient is asked to pretend to ‘look in the direction of that quadrant’.

Citation
Fan J, Bowmer H. Eye Ultrasound. ASUM Bulletin 2003.1:6-19.