Eye and Orbit Ultrasounds Health Article

Normal results

A normal ultrasound scan would indicate a fully healthy eye. For therapeutic ultrasound, a normal result would be an improvement in the targeted condition, such as shrinking of a tumor or lessening of pressure inside the eye of a glaucoma patient.

Abnormal results

Because diagnostic ultrasound is generally used to investigate symptoms, the results of a scan will often be abnormal and they will detect evidence of an underlying condition.

BOOKS

Guthoff, Rudolf. Ultrsound in Ophthalmologic Diagnosis: A Practical Guide. New York: Thieme Medical Publishers, 1991.

Shtasel, Philip. Medical Tests and Diagnostic Procedures: A Patient's Guide to Just What the Doctor Ordered. New York: Harper & Row, 1991.

The Patient's Guide to Medical Tests. Ed. Barry L. Zaret, et al. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1997.

PERIODICALS

Moyer, Paula. "High-frequency Doppler Boosts Small Vessel Imaging." Ophthalmology Times (15 Oct. 1996): 50.

Murray, Maxine. "Basics of Ultrasonography." Student British Medical Journal (Aug. 1996): 269-272.

Nash, Karen. "High Tech A/B-scans: How High?" Ophthalmology Times (Apr. 1995): 19.

Sabbagh, Leslie. "The Growing Effect of Ultrasound." Ophthalmology Times (Jan. 1995): 16.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Academy of Ophthalmology. 655 Beach Street, PO Box 7424, San Francisco, CA 94120-7424. <http://www.eyenet.org>.

American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. 14750 Sweitzer Lane, Suite 100, Laurel, MD 20707-5906. (800) 638-5352. <http://www.aium.org>.

National Eye Institute. 2020 Vision Place, Bethesda, MD 20892-3655. (301) 496-5248. <http://www.nei.nih.gov>.

Kurt Richard Sternlof

KEY TERMS

Cataracts—A clouding of the lens of the eye or the material immediately surrounding it, causing blurred vision. For many people it occurs naturally with aging, but may also result from injury.

Glaucoma—A common eye disease characterized by increased fluid pressure in the eye that damages the optic nerve, which carries sensations to the brain. Glaucoma can be caused by another eye disorder, such as a tumor or congenital malformation, or appear without obvious cause, but if untreated it generally leads to blindness.

Intraocular—Literally, within the eye.

Ophthalmologist—A medical doctor specializing in eye care who is generally, but not necessarily, an eye surgeon.

Retina—The third and innermost membrane of the eye, which contains the light-sensitive nerve tissue that leads into the optic nerve and is the primary instument of vision. Inflammation of the retina (retinitis) has many causes, including over-exposure to intense light, diabetes, and syphilis.