Colour Doppler imaging of endocrine ophthalmopathy

Eleven patients suffering from endocrine ophthalmopathy for more than one year were examined with color Doppler imaging. Blood flow of the ophthalmic artery, the superior ophthalmic vein, and the central retinal artery and vein was determined. An Acuson 128 color Doppler imaging system equipped with a 7.5 MHz probe was used. Except in one case, values corresponding to the normal controls were obtained in the ophthalmic artery and in the central retinal artery. In the former case the velocity profile corresponds to generalized arteriosclerosis. In no case could Doppler shift be detected in the superior ophthalmic vein, whereas in normal controls the value was 13.1 cm/sec. We consider the lack of imaging of the superior ophthalmic vein flow to be characteristic of endocrine ophthalmopathy.