Predictive validity of ultrasonography for orbital lesions in a tertiary care teaching center in South India: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: The superficial location of the eye and its cystic composition make ultrasound ideal for imaging the eye. Ultrasonography (US) provides highly informative images and is a noninvasive, low-cost, and well-tolerated diagnostic technique. Aim: The present study was conducted to determine the predictive validity of ultrasonography in diagnosing orbital lesions. Materials and Methods: The study population consists of 85 patients with orbital lesions who attended the department of radiology and imaging during the study period. All clinical and ultrasound examinations were performed by a single investigator to identify ocular lesions. A linear high-frequency probe (5-9 MHz) of the LOGIQ P5 ultrasound system was used for the study. Histopathological and computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging were used as applicable for final diagnosis. Diagnostic statistics such as sensitivity and specificity have been used to find the correlation of CT scan with the final diagnosis. coGuide was used for statistical analysis. Results: Out of 85 participants, 42 (49%) were male and the remaining 43 (51%) were female. Ultrasound showed an overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 94.2%, 98.8%, and 94.9% for ocular pathologies and 98.8%, 99.2%, and 95.2% for extraocular pathologies, respectively. Conclusion: US had overall high diagnostic validity and accuracy in localizing and characterizing orbital pathologies. Further evaluation with higher cross-sectional imaging modalities (CT) was indicated in certain cases; for the evaluation of bony involvement, extension to adjacent structures, and intracranial extensions.