Indications for Orbital Imaging by the Oculoplastic Surgeon

OBJECTIVE: To determine the indications for ordering orbital imaging and the indications for ordering CT versus MRI by oculoplastic surgeons and to assess the correlation between surgeon's clinical indications for imaging and the radiologist's diagnosis. DESIGN: Retrospective review of imaging requisitions and radiology reports. PARTICIPANTS: Patients of 4 oculoplastic surgeons who required CT or MRI scans. METHODS: Imaging requisitions and radiology reports of patients from 4 oculoplastic surgeons were reviewed to determine the indication for ordering a CT or MRI scan between March 2006 and March 2009. The indications were then compared with the radiologist's diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 735 patients were included: 449 (61.1%) female and 286 (38.9%) male, with an average age of 50.1 years and an age range of 7 months to 93 years. Of these patients, a total of 632 CT and 223 MRI scans were ordered, 135 of which were follow-up scans. CONCLUSIONS: The most common indication for CT scan was thyroid disease, followed by orbital tumors and then inflammatory disease, while the most common indication for MRI scan was orbital tumors, followed by inflammatory disease and then thyroid disease. CT scans were more commonly ordered than MRI, largely for trauma and to rule out orbital foreign body.