Magnetic resonance imaging of orbits in the diagnosis of endocrine ophthalmopathy: a literature review

Diagnosis of endocrine ophthalmopathy (EOP) in the presence of severe symptoms and autoimmune thyroid pathology is not difficult. However today all efforts of ophthalmologists and endocrinologists are aimed at early diagnostics of EOP, the choice of its management tactics, timeliness and correctness of its treatment. Assessment of only clinical symptoms does not allow to accurately verify the diagnosis, to determine the activity of inflammation and the severity of pathological changes in the orbit, to determine the dynamics of its course. Modern technologies have significantly widened the possibilities of EOP diagnostics including its early manifestations. Introduction of imaging diagnostic methods such as ultrasound (US) and multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) has improved the diagnosis of EOP and provided additional possibilities for determining the severity of pathological process in the orbit and its further dynamic monitoring. Recently, due to a number of technical advances, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of orbits has been increasingly used in patients with EOP to diagnose process activity, differential diagnosis of EOP with other pathological conditions, and to evaluate response to treatment due to high contrast of soft tissues and absence of ionizing radiation.