Postoperative imaging of the orbital contents

Ophthalmologists perform a wide array of interventions on the orbital contents. The surgical treatment of glaucoma, cataracts, retinal detachment, and ocular trauma or malignancy results in alteration of the standard anatomy, which is often readily evident at radiologic examinations. The ability to accurately recognize the various imaging manifestations after orbital surgery is critical for radiologists to avoid misdiagnosis. Of particular importance is familiarity with the numerous types of implanted devices, such as glaucoma drainage devices, orbital implants, and eyelid weights. Although knowledge of patients’ surgical history is helpful, this information is often not available at the time of interpretation. Fortunately, there are characteristic posttreatment findings that enable diagnosis. The imaging features of the most commonly performed ophthalmologic procedures are highlighted, with emphasis on computed tomography and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, because they are currently the primary modalities involved in evaluating the orbits. Glaucoma drainage devices and orbital implants after enucleation are two of the more pertinent implanted devices because their composition has substantially evolved over the past 2 decades, which affects their imaging appearance. Some devices, such as the Baerveldt Glaucoma Implant and platinum-weighted eyelid implants, may distort radiologic images. The MR imaging safety profiles of numerous implanted devices are also reported.