Using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), investigators were able to identify positive findings of ocular toxocariasis (OT) in 92.3%, or 72 of 78, study participants diagnosed with OT.  The main finding was peripheral granulomas, found in 84.6% of eyes, most of which were adjacent to the nasal or temporal side of horizontal meridian. UBM also revealed 12 of the peripherally involved eyes also had posterior pole granulomas, which the researchers called a ‘combined type’ of OT. The imaging modality uncovered vitreous strands in 67.9% of study eyes, peripheral tractional retinal detachment in 52.6% and tractional cyclodialysis in 41.0% of eyes.

“The utilization of UBM verifies the existence of the combined subtype (with both peripheral and posterior pole granulomas) and improves the detection rate of peripheral granulomas, which is of great importance to the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of OT,” the researchers concluded.

Chen Q, Gu J, Jiang R, et al. Role of ultrasound biomicroscopy in diagnosis of ocular toxocariasis. Br J Ophthalmol. April 9, 2018. [Epub ahead of print].