Sonography of the lacrimal gland: historical aspects and possibilities of modern technologies

The review summarizes the data of domestic and foreign studies of the lacrimal gland (LG) using various echography techniques (A-scan, B-mode, color Doppler mapping (CDM), three-dimensional echography). Despite the generally accepted standards of using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging to visualize orbital structures, the presence of absolute and relative contraindications limits their use. Ultrasound methods are accessible, non-invasive, and highly informative for obtaining objective parameters necessary for diagnosis and evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment of LG pathology. Modern echography methods provide important information on the anatomical, topographic and structural characteristics, biometric indicators of the LG in various pathological changes. CDM is used to determine not only the features of the LG blood supply and the state of blood flow in the retrobulbar vessels, but also the presence or absence of vascularization of LG neoplasms. A comprehensive ultrasound examination, including B-mode, color Doppler imaging, and echodensitometry, is becoming a necessary diagnostic method for LG diseases, allowing for optimization of patient treatment tactics and, when planning surgical intervention, determining the size and structure of the pathological lesion. However, questions about the standard LG sizes in individuals of different age groups and their changes in various systemic diseases and pathologies of the visual organ remain controversial. Further study of the comparability of LG measurement results by various visualization methods is required.