EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATION OF THE SAFETY OF THE HIGH-INTENSITY DIAGNOSTIC ULTRASOUND IN OPHTHALMOLOGY

 

Kiseleva T.N., Zaitsev M.S., Lugovkina K.V., Ryabina M.V.,

Seliverstova K.E., Izmailova N.S., Zaitseva A.A.

 

Helmholtz National Medical Research Center of Eye Diseases. Moscow, Russia.

P

urpose. To study the effect of the high-intensity diagnostic ultrasound on the tissues of the anterior and posterior segments of the eyes in the experiment in vivo.

Materials and methods. The experimental investigations were performed in 46 Chinchilla rabbits (92 eyes). The main group included 38 rabbits (76 eyes), the control group − 8 intact rabbits (16 eyes).  Animals of the main group were exposed on the eyes with the high-intensity diagnostic ultrasound (MI 0.9-1.0, TI 1.5-2.0, Ispta.3 50 mW/cm2) using color Doppler imaging (CDI) and pulsed wave Doppler (PWD) within 30 minutes. Methods of ocular examinations included: non-contact thermometry of cornea, biomicroscopy of ocular anterior segment, pupillometry, ocular tonometry, optical coherence tomography (OCT) of cornea and retina, which were performed before and immediately after ultrasound exposure (in 20 rabbits) and 2 weeks later (in 18 rabbits). Morphological examinations with the morphometric assessment of retinal tissues of enucleated eyes of rabbits were performed on the 1st day (40 eyes) and 2 weeks (36 eyes) after ultrasound exposure.

Results. Analysis of the results of the corneal temperature showed no statistically significant changes in animals of the main group, compared with the control group. Biomicroscopy didn’t demonstrate structures damage of the ocular anterior segment as well immediately after exposure of ultrasound as follow up. There were no structural changes in the cornea and retinal tissues according to OCT data. A morphological examination and the morphometry with high integrity revealed absence of pathological changes in the layers of the retina follow-up evaluation after exposure of the high-intensity diagnostic ultrasound.

Discussion. Currently ultrasound examinations (CDI and PWD) are very informative in the diagnostic of vascular pathology of the retina and optic verve, ophthalmo-oncology, diabetic eye diseases. However, there are the limitations for these methods in ophthalmology because of the evidential base of the safety of the high-intensity diagnostic ultrasound for ocular tissues is not present. We have introduced a novel complex assessment of the high-intensity ultrasound effect on cornea, ocular media and retina.

Conclusions. According the data of thermometry, biomicroscopy, ocular tonometry, OCT of cornea and retina, morphological examinations of retinal tissues there was no immediate and delayed effects the high-intensity diagnostic ultrasound on the structures of ocular anterior and ocular posterior segments of animals eyes in the experiment.

 

Keywords: the high-intensity diagnostic ultrasound, color Doppler imaging, pulsed wave Doppler, cornea, retina, mechanical index, thermal index, optical coherence tomography morphological examination.

 

Corresponding author: Kiseleva T.N., e-mail: Этот e-mail адрес защищен от спам-ботов, для его просмотра у Вас должен быть включен Javascript

 

For citation: Kiseleva T.N., Zaitsev M.S., Lugovkina K.V., Ryabina M.V., Seliverstova K.E., Izmailova N.S., Zaitseva A.A. Experimental demonstration of the safety of the high-intensity diagnostic ultrasound in ophthalmology. REJR 2023; 13(2):50-62. DOI: 10.21569/2222-7415-2023-13-2-50-62.

Received: 29.01.23 Accepted:       28.03.23