Radiologic diagnostics of the orbital trauma in children

Relevance. Head and facial injuries are one of the main reasons for emergency care in children. Among all cases of blunt trauma to the skull and face, orbital damage, including fractures of the orbital walls, stands out in particular. The aim is to determine the diagnostic significance of modern methods for visualizing the state of the orbits in children with blunt trauma. The review uses PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, and RSCI databases. An urgent and reliable assessment of damage to the orbit and eyeball in children is extremely important. Common imaging techniques for the orbit and eye include radiography, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ultrasound is applicable for isolated injury of the orbit in specialized ophthalmological centers, except in cases where there is a suspicion of rupture of the eyeball. Due to the low information content and accessibility, CT and radiography are rarely used nowadays. In case of acute orbital trauma, any suspicion of the possibility of a foreign body in orbit requires an initial CT assessment to exclude a metallic foreign body. MRI plays a significant role in recognizing damage to the soft tissues of the orbit in children, as well as all other intracranial injuries caused by trauma. MRI allows comprehensive data that significantly expands diagnostic capabilities compared to CT, providing more information to the radiologist and the orbital surgeon. It is extremely important that specialists are aware of these imaging capabilities, as these techniques are constantly evolved and used in assessing and treating orbital injuries, as well as in planning surgical intervention in children.