Use of ophthalmic B-scan ultrasonography in determining the causes of low vision in patients with diabetic retinopathy

Ibrahim E Mohamed; Mona A Mohamed; Mohamed Yousef; Mustafa Z Mahmoud; Batil Alonazi

doi:10.1016/j.ejro.2018.05.002

Use of ophthalmic B-scan ultrasonography in determining the causes of low vision in patients with diabetic retinopathy

Eur J Radiol Open. 2018 May 11:5:79-86. doi: 10.1016/j.ejro.2018.05.002. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Ibrahim E Mohamed¹, Mona A Mohamed¹, Mohamed Yousef², Mustafa Z Mahmoud³, Batil Alonazi³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Diagnostic Radiologic Technology, College of Medical Radiological Sciences, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan.
² Radiologic Sciences Program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
³ Radiology and Medical Imaging Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the causes of low vision among Sudanese patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR) by using ophthalmic B-scan ultrasonography.

Materials and methods: A total of 100 patients with DR at different grades, were recruited prospectively between September 2016 and January 2018. Nidek (Echoscan US-4000) ultrasound unit was used to determine the causes of low vision in diabetic patients according to their glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and early treatment of diabetic retinopathy scale (ETDRS) severity levels.

Results: Vitreous hemorrhage (VH) 42(66.6%), asteroid hyalosis (AH) 12(14.3%), and partial retinal detachment (PRD) 9(19%) were the main cause of low vision in patients presenting with moderately regulated HbA1c and graded with either minimal or mild nonproliferative retinopathy (NPDR). While VH 15(40.5%), total retinal detachment (TRD) 12(32.4%), posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) 7(19%), and choroidal detachment (CD) 3(8.1%), were dominant in patients with poorly regulated HbA1c and graded either as moderate NPDR; severe NPDR; and proliferative retinopathy (PR).

Conclusions: Ophthalmic B-mode ultrasound is a rapid, noninvasive imaging technique that can be used with minimum discomfort in ophthalmological practice for the detection and evaluation of DR complications that predict the visual outcome.

Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy; Low vision; Ophthalmic B-scan ultrasonography.