AJR:209, December 2017 1353
the patient, and making appropriate thera-
peutic decisions. Although direct ophthalmo-
logic examination, including slit-lamp evalu-
ation, is initially sought as a rapid assessment
tool in the ED, other complementary imag-
ing modalities can be indicated as part of
the diagnostic process. The conventional ra-
diographic Caldwell and Waters views have
been used in the past and show moderate
sensitivities in detecting orbital fractures, but
they are not helpful for examining soft-tissue
ocular processes [5]. Ultrasound is used non-
invasively as routine imaging to evaluate lens
dislocation, globe rupture, retrobulbar hem-
orrhage, intraocular foreign bodies, and reti-
nal detachment. Ocular ultrasound has been
reported to have a sensitivity of 100% and a
specifcity of 97.2% for identifying ocular
abnormalities in the ED [6].
In addition to radiography and B-scan ul-
trasound, CT is typically recommended as
an imaging surrogate for technical reasons
when direct examination is impossible be-
cause of marked swelling or severe corneal
CT in the Evaluation of Acute
Injuries of the Anterior Eye Segment
Khaled Gad
1,2
Eric L. Singman
3
Rohini N. Nadgir
1
David M. Yousem
1
Jay J. Pillai
1
Gad K, Singman EL, Nadgir RN, Yousem DM,
Pillai JJ
1
The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and
Radiological Science, Division of Neuroradiology, The
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 600 N Wolfe St,
Baltimore, MD 21287. Address correspondence to
J. J. Pillai (jpillai1@jhmi.edu).
2
Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine,
Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.
3
Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins Medical
Institutions, Baltimore, MD.
Neuroradiology/Head and Neck Imaging • Original Research
AJR 2017; 209:1353–1359
0361–803X/17/2096–1353
© American Roentgen Ray Society
O
cular injuries represent a sub-
stantial national health problem.
Annually, there are 2.4 million
visits to emergency departments
(EDs) in the United States related to ophthal-
mologic emergency, and ocular trauma is the
primary diagnosis in 77.9% of these cases
[1]. In the United States, the rate of ED-treat-
ed eye injury is 3.15 cases/1000 population
[2]. Rates are highest among patients in their
30s or 40s, among male patients, and among
Native Americans and African Americans
[2]. Legal blindness is reported in no less
than 27% of eyes with serious injuries [3].
According to the World Health Organization
blindness databank, 55 million eye injuries
occur worldwide each year, resulting in
750,000 hospitalizations, 1.6 million patients
who become blind, 2.3 million patients with
bilateral low vision, and 19 million patients
with unilateral blindness or low vision [4].
In the clinical setting of acute eye trauma,
imaging is required to assist the ophthalmol-
ogist in making an early diagnosis, triaging
Keywords: anterior eye segment, CT, hyphema, ocular
injury, rupture globe
DOI:10.2214/AJR.17.18279
Received March 22, 2017; accepted after revision
April 25, 2017.
Based on a presentation at the American Society of Head
and Neck Radiology 2016 annual meeting, Washington, DC.
OBJECTIVE. Slit-lamp ophthalmologic examination and ocular B-scan sonography of
the globe are frequently constrained by technical limitations in the setting of traumatic orbital
injury. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of CT in
acute anterior segment ocular injuries as an adjunctive diagnostic modality.
MATERIALS AND METHODS. We retrospectively identifed 122 patients who pre-
sented to the emergency department from April 2011 through April 2016 with recent direct
trauma to the anterior segment of the eye. Deidentifed multiplanar thin-slice CT images were
reviewed by two subspecialty board–certifed neuroradiologists for the presence of anterior seg-
ment rupture and hyphema, as well as lens, ciliary body, and lacrimal gland injury. The CT fnd-
ings were compared to slit-lamp, B-scan ultrasound, or operative data as the reference standard.
RESULTS. The neuroradiologists’ CT evaluation showed high sensitivity of 87.2% (95%
CI, 74.3–95.2%) and specifcity of 97.3% (95% CI, 90.7–99.7%) in diagnosing anterior globe
rupture with high interrater agreement ( κ = 0.876; 95% CI, 0.787–0.965). Detection of lens
dislocation and anterior hyphema showed a sensitivity and specifcity of 88.0% and 90.7% and
77.4% and 88.4%, respectively. A shallow anterior chamber was detectable with a sensitivity
of 89.2% and specifcity of 87.1%. This critically important sign predicted anterior globe rup-
ture in 39 of 47 patients (odds ratio, 68.25; p < 0.0001).
CONCLUSION. Subtle ocular fndings are readily detectable at CT and can provide valu-
able information to the ophthalmologist concerning acute trauma to the ocular anterior segment.
Gad et al.
CT of Anterior Eye Segment Injuries
Neuroradiology/Head and Neck Imaging
Original Research
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