| Objectives: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonographic optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD)measurement and color Doppler indices of the ophthalmic arteries in detecting elevated intracranialpressure (ICP).Patients and methods: A total 60 patients with (cases, n = 30) and without (controls, n = 30) acute clinicaland computed tomographic findings of elevated ICP due to intracranial mass/hemorrhage were recruitedfrom a teaching hospital. The mean binocular and maximum ultrasonographic ONSDs, as well as themean binocular Doppler ultrasound waveform indices of the ophthalmic arteries including pulsatilityindex (PI), resistive index (RI), end-systolic velocity (ESV), peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end-diastolicvelocity (EDV) were compared between the two groups.Results: Compared to controls, the case group had significantly higher mean binocular ONSD(5.48 ± 0.52 mm vs. 4.09 ± 0.22 mm, p < 0.001), maximum ONSD (5.63 ± 0.55 mm vs. 4.16 ± 0.23 mm,p < 0.001), mean PI (1.53 ± 0.16 vs. 1.45 ± 0.20, p = 0.01), and mean RI (0.76 ± 0.07 vs. 0.73 ± 0.04,p = 0.01). The mean EDV, in contrast, was significantly higher in controls (8.55 ± 3.09 m/s vs.7.17 ± 2.61 m/s, p = 0.01). The two groups were comparable for the mean PSV (30.73 ± 7.93 m/s in casesvs. 32.27 ± 10.39 m/s in controls, p = 0.36). Among the mentioned variables, the mean binocular ONSDwas the most accurate parameter in detecting elevated ICP (sensitivity and specificity of 100%, cut-offpoint = 4.53 mm). The Doppler indices were only moderately accurate (sensitivity: 56.7 − 60%, specificity:63.3 − 76.7%).Conclusion: While the ultrasonographic mean binocular ONSD (>4.53 mm) was completely accurate indetecting elevated ICP, color Doppler indices of the ophthalmic arteries were of limited value. |