The "Triangle" Sign: A Novel Ultrasound Marker for Diagnosing Total Choroidal Detachment and Total Suprachoroidal Hemorrhage.

PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the diagnostic utility of ultrasound B-scan while introducing the "Triangle" sign as a novel indicator. It also validates the sign's efficacy in distinguishing between choroidal detachment (CD) and suprachoroidal hemorrhage (SCH) from retinal detachment (RD) and vitreous hemorrhage (VH).

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of consecutive cases of total CD and SCH undergoing B-scan at a single tertiary imaging center. The study examined the presence of the "Triangle" sign (a hypoechoic/anechoic triangular shape of vitreous noted anterior to the optic disc) in total CD & SCH, categorized cases by subtype and etiology, and its role in differentiating from RD and VH.

RESULTS

Thirty-six eyes with a total CD and SCH were analyzed. Amongst the cases of total SCH 31 (86.1%), (58.1%) were linked to intraocular surgery, and (41.9%) were linked to post-traumatic events. The "Triangle" sign was consistently present in all 36 eyes, with additional findings indicating concurrent VH (52.8%) or RD (5.6%). Among the 31 eyes with total SCH, 58.3% initially had detectable choroidal membrane seen on B scan, while 41.7% did not. Despite this, the "Triangle" sign was consistently visible in all 36 eyes, and monitoring with B-scans revealed choroidal membrane as the hemorrhage resolved.

CONCLUSION

The "Triangle" sign is a distinctive and reliable ultrasound feature for total CD and SCH diagnosis, offering clarity in challenging cases where traditional methods face limitations.