Application of ultrasound biomicroscopy in ocular trauma caused by chestnut-burr spines

To evaluate the clinical utility of Ultrasound Biomicroscopy (UBM) in diagnosing and managing ocular injuries caused by chestnut-burr spines, particularly for detecting non-metallic scleral foreign bodies and monitoring postoperative inflammatory progression. A retrospective study was conducted on 36 patients (36 eyes) presenting with non-penetrating ocular trauma from chestnut-burr spines. All patients underwent preoperative UBM for foreign body localization and assessment of scleral inflammation. The UBM data obtained at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively were analyzed to assess the changes in scleral thickness and inflammation progression. UBM preoperatively detected foreign bodies in 94.4% cases. Microbial analysis confirmed fungal infection in 52.8% of cases, necessitating antifungal therapy. Preoperative UBM demonstrated scleral thickening (789.7 ± 200.8 μm), which peaked at 1 month post-surgery (965.7 ± 385.2 μm) and subsequently normalized by 3 months (570.4 ± 119.3 μm). Four cases of severe scleral abscess required secondary interventions. UBM demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy in chestnut-burr-related ocular injuries, enabling precise surgical planning and longitudinal, quantitative monitoring of scleral inflammation. It is particularly valuable for identifying non-metallic foreign bodies missed by conventional imaging modalities.