ROLE OF MRI IN NON-TRAUMATIC ORBITAL PATHOLOGIES

Background: Orbital pathologies encompass a wide range of conditions, from benign inflammatory processes to aggressive neoplastic lesions. Their complex anatomical location and overlapping clinical features make accurate diagnosis challenging,necessitating advanced imaging.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),with its superior soft tissue resolution and multiplanar capability, has emerged as the modality of choice in evaluating non-traumatic orbital diseases.The study aimed to evaluate the role of MRI in the diagnosis of non-traumatic orbital pathologies and correlate imaging findings with histopathological or clinical outcomes. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Radiodiagnosis at Sri Aurobindo Medical College & PGI,Indore, over 18 months (June 2023–November 2024). Fifty patients with suspected non-traumatic orbital lesions underwent MRI on 1.5T/3T scanners using standard orbital protocols. Demographic details, clinical presentation, lesion compartmentalization, signal characteristics, and extent were documented. Histopathological confirmation was obtained wherever feasible. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS v26. Results: The majority of patients were aged 41–60 years (46%),with a male predominance (60%).The most frequent symptoms were diminution of vision (66%) and proptosis (50%). Infective and inflammatory lesions (42%) formed the largest group, followed by neoplasms (30%), vascular (14%),and cystic lesions (10%).Extraconal involvement was most common (48%).T2 hyperintensity (88%) was the dominant MRI feature, while GRE blooming was noted in 38%. Histopathological confirmation was possible in 23 patients (46%), with MRI showing concordance in all confirmed cases. MRI enabled a specific diagnosis in 96% of patients. Conclusion: MRI is an indispensable modality in non-traumatic orbital pathologies, providing precise localization, characterization, and detection of complications.Its high diagnostic accuracy makes it the investigation of choice for guiding management.