An Eye for Eyes: Pediatric Ophthalmologic Diseases on MRI

The orbit is predisposed to a wide range of possible pathologic processes due to a complex histologic and anatomic composition within a confined space. The clinical presentation of orbital pathology is often nonspecific, particularly in young children, making radiologic evaluation an important step in the diagnosis. Additionally, while suspected ophthalmologic pathology may be the primary purpose for an imaging study, incidental lesions encompassing a broad range of infectious, inflammatory, neoplastic, and congenital processes are not uncommonly encountered and may serve as important clues to alert the radiologist and clinical team to evaluate other associated pathology. High-resolution MR imaging is the examination of choice for detailed evaluation of orbital and ocular soft tissues, and this article will review characteristic MR imaging features and the clinical significance of various ophthalmologic pathologies in the pediatric population, while highlighting pearls essential to making accurate imaging diagnoses.

Learning Objective: To recognize the imaging appearance of pediatric orbital disease from major pathologic categories and describe common imaging features