Department of Diagnostic Radiology, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Korea.
Published online: January 1, 2001.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Occasionally, it is very difficult to differentiate between vitreous membrane(VM) and retinal detachment(RD) with ultrasonography only. We had tried to search differential diagnosis points between RD and VM by color and power Doppler sonography. MATERIALS & METHODS: Sonographic evaluation, including Doppler sonography was performed in 57 symptomatic eyes of 41 patients with eye ball trauma, proliferative diabetic retinopathy or hypertensive retinopathy. We observed echogenic bands in vitreous chamber and evaluated flow signal within bands by color and power Doppler sonography which have a 10 MHz linear transducer The RD has been defined as an existence of blood flow from opticnerve to echogenic hand. Final diagnosis was confirmed by surgery (n=26), follow-up ophthalmologic evaluation (n=31). RESULTS: 57 cases which had echogenic band in sonographic exam, was confirmed 12 RD cases and 45 VM cases. 6 cases of 12 RD were combined with VM. 9 ases were confirmed RD in 10 cases which had been diagnosed RD in color & power Doppler ultrasonogram. 44 cases were confirmed VM in 47 cases which had been diagnosed VM . One fase positive RD case was proliferlocalized RD. The sensitivity and specificity and of this differentiating point by color & power Doppler ultrasonogrphy were 75% and 98%. CONCLUSION: It is very important to differentiate point RD from VM that the existence of blood flow within echogenic band.