Ocular Ultrasound

An ocular ultrasound measures the size and structure of the eye. At Riley at IU Health, your child’s ophthalmologist may suggest this test to detect retinal detachment, tumors or choroidal lesions. For children who have had an eye injury, an ocular ultrasound may be used in the emergency room to detect a globe rupture or foreign object in the eye. In addition, this may be used to check intracranial pressure, which can rise when the fluid around the brain or spine are affected by brain or spinal cord injuries or conditions.

There are two types of ocular ultrasounds:

A-scan. With an A-scan, the physician measures the eye to determine the corrective power of the lens used for cataract surgery. This is the most common reason for using ocular ultrasound.
B-scan. A B-scan looks at the inside of the eye, which might be difficult to see because of cataracts or other obstructions. A B-scan can detect retinal detachment, choroidal lesions or melanoma, foreign bodies, calcium and tumors.

Ocular ultrasounds take about 15 minutes. An ultrasound wand is placed against the front surface of the eye or the eyelids. High-frequency sound waves travel through the eye, and the echoes from the sound waves form a picture.

What to Expect

It is not necessary to bring anything or take any steps to prepare for an ocular ultrasound. Numbing drops are placed in your child’s eyes. To get the best image, your child may be asked to look in different directions.

For the A-scan, a probe is placed against the front of the eye. If your child is having a B-scan, a gel is placed on the eyelids, and the test is done with the eyes closed.

Your child should not feel any discomfort or pain since the eyes are numb.

The numbing medication should wear off in about 15 minutes. During this time, your child should avoid rubbing the eyes to protect the cornea from being scratched.

Key Points to Remember

An ocular ultrasound looks at the eye and measures its size and structure.
Your child’s doctor may suggest this test if your child has cataracts or to detect retinal detachment, tumors or choroidal lesions.
An ocular ultrasound may also be used in an emergency room for evaluation purposes after an eye injury.
For this test, an ultrasound wand is placed against the front surface of the eye or the eyelids, and the echoes from sound waves form a picture of the eye.
The test lasts about 15 minutes, and your child should not have any discomfort or pain.

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American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)

This professional organization publishes content to educate ophthalmologists and the general public about eye care, including an article about ocular ultrasound.

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