Utility and effectiveness of orbito-ocular B-scan ultrasonography in an African developing country.

BACKGROUND

Diagnostic orbito-ocular ultrasonography is a safe, affordable, and cost-effective procedure that is especially suited for resource-poor developing countries. Periodic evaluation of its utility and effectiveness is important in the light of phenomenal advances in medical imaging.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the utility and effectiveness of B-scan orbito-ocular ultrasonography in a Nigerian ophthalmic patient population.

METHODS

The Hansa Clinic's database was retrospectively reviewed, between January 2006 and December 2010, to obtain patients' relevant demographic and clinical data. Results . The subjects comprised 119 males and 81 females. The leading sonographic diagnoses were ocular (90.4%): retinal detachment-23.3%, cataract-14.0%, and vitreous haemorrhage-10.5%; orbital (8.3%): 'mass lesion'-4.8% and myopathies-0.8%. The agreement between clinical and sonographic diagnoses was complete in 35.5% eyes.

CONCLUSION

At Hansa Clinics, intraocular lesions are the main findings of diagnostic orbito-ocular sonography. There is poor agreement between clinical and sonographic diagnoses. Improved correlation of patients' clinic-pathologic data is suggested.