[Beginning atrophy of the eye bulb. An echographic-histologic comparative study (author's transl)].

In 21 cases of beginning atrophy of the eye bulb, ultrasongraphy revealed abnormal echoes reflected by equatorial and preequatorial parts of the bulbar shell. In addition, ultrasonography revealed a shortening of the bulbar axis by 0.88 mm and a thickening of the retroequatorial sclera up to 2.1 mm on an average. By correlation of the echogram and microscopic sections the presumption of an edema of the peripheral choroid and the ciliary body could be verified in 6 cases. Thus echography makes possible an earlier diagnosis of beginning bulbar atrophy than does the clinical symtomatology. In such cases surgical procedures for improvement of hypotony are useless or even detrimental.