Ultrasound biomicroscopy tops OCT for imaging anterior segment tumors

ATLANTA — Ultrasound biomocroscopy is still the gold standard when compared with anterior segment optical coherence tomography for imaging anterior segment tumors, according to a physician who has studied the two modalities.

Ultrasound biomocroscopy (UBM), which uses acoustic waves through a water bath, is able to fully penetrate tumors and assess the internal pattern, Ike K. Ahmed, MD, FRCSC, said at Cornea Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.

Anterior segment OCT (ASOCT), a noncontact modality that uses infrared light, is able to show surface and internal reflectivity, indicating a solid tumor, but it cannot fully penetrate and evaluate the posterior aspect of the tumor, he explained.

"Pigmented tumors, large hypopigmented tumors and iridociliary tumors are more difficult to assess with ASOCT," Dr. Ahmed said.

Underlying and surrounding structures are challenging to image in any case, and these are not easily imaged with ASOCT, he said.