Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Venography of the orbit: pathology

1969; Wiley; Volume: 42; Issue: 495 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1259/0007-1285-42-495-184

1748-880X

G Lombardi, A Passerini,

Intraocular Surgery and Lenses

In a previous paper that appeared in this Journal (1968) we described the technique of orbital venography by frontal route and the anatomy of the ophthalmic veins. Here we present the results obtained in pathological conditions with a view to assessing the usefulness, indications and limitations of the method. To date (June, 1968) we have carried out 74 of these investigations at our hospital, nearly all by frontal route. The findings were normal in 46 cases and pathological in 28. The diagnoses in the latter cases are shown in Table I. Given the rarity of orbital conditions that justify the use of contrast media, we feel that the number and variety of the cases collected are sufficient for a reliable assessment. As the investigation is harmless, it was used in some patients whose condition had already been diagnosed by traditional means, solely for the purpose of narrowing down the diagnosis. The superior ophthalmic vein is the principal reference vessel of the orbit when evaluating any deviation from the norm. Inconsistent visualisation, the small calibre and the manifold anatomical variations greatly diminish the diagnostic importance of other veins. Frontal puncture offers the advantage of direct comparison of the venous circulation on both sides.