Echography in the diagnosis of pathological changes in posterior segment

To date, echography remains one of the important imaging methods in ophthalmology, especially in case of opaque ocular media when examination is challenging. The review provides information on various ultrasound methods, including A-scan, B-scan, and color flow Doppler, for assessing the posterior segment. Echography is highly effective in differential diagnosis of retinal detachment, posterior vitreous detachment, and vitreous pathological changes, including pseudomembranes and strands. There are multiple publications on comparative analysis assessing accuracy and objectivity of various instrumental methods for diagnosis of posterior segment pathologies, including ultrasound. These analyses have demonstrated high sensitivity and reproducibility of ultrasound in the diagnosis of retinal detachment, posterior vitreous detachment, retinal breaks, and vitreous strands. The main advantages of comprehensive ultrasound, including B-scan, color flow Doppler, and high-frequency grey-scale imaging, are detailed visualization of the central and peripheral eye structures, ability to differentiate vascular and avascular intraocular areas, and monitoring ocular media and membranes following various therapies of the posterior segment diseases.