Prevalence of Abnormal Findings in Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Neurophthalmic and Orbital Complaints in Sabzevar city (2016)
Introduction: Nowadays, every subspecialty in medicine is taking effect from new imaging modalities. Ophthalmology and studying disorders of the eye are no exception. As same as other developments in medicine, there are some imaging indication developed in order to reduce false diagnosis and unnecessary costs. While patients with ocular problems are not only visited by ophthalmologists, the imaging tests will be ordered by different specialists. So, by evaluating the rate of ordered CT scan and MRI imaging by different specialists, we will be able to prospect the rate of ordered imaging studies in Vasee and Emdad Hospital, Sabzevar, Iran.
Material and methods: Every patients who meet the study inclusion criteria, had different eye compliments and were referred by different specialist from Sabzevar City for taking CT scan or MRI study were enrolled in this cross sectional study. Patient’s demographic and imaging interpretation data were gathered. Then, the prevalence of abnormal imaging findings and their relation with study variables were analyzed by SPSS version 18 software.
Results: Two hundred and sevnty one patients (46/9% male and 53/1% female) enrolled in this cross sectional study with average and mean of 39. and 36 years respectively. General physicians, ophthalmologists, neurologists, internal medicine and emergency medicine specialists referred 3%, 5.5%, 71/6%, 3% and 7% of patients respectively. Most of the patients were referred for MRI (51/3% versus 48/7) than CT scan. Only 30/3% of patients had abnormal finding in their imaging study. Patients referred from a neurologist had significantly higher rate of abnormal findings (P=0/0032). Increase in age and illness period was significantly related to higher rate of abnormal findings (P=0/00 , P=0.00 respectively). Only 21/4% of patients had imaging findings in line with their clinical presentation. The most common finding was maxillary (9/6%) and ethmoidal and frontal sinusitis (3/3%). Only 2% of patients with positive findings had solid tumors on imaging studies.
Conclusion: Sinusitis was the most common imaging finding in this study. While a plan radiograph can help physician in diagnosing this disease, performing MRI or CT scan for this finding seems expensive and time consuming in first step. Also, paying more attention to accurate history taking and physical examination will reduce the normal imaging ordered.
Keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging, Computed tomography, Eye diseas
