Márcio Augusto NogueirA costA1, PAtríciA NovitA gArciA1, LetíciA FerNANdes BArroso1, MArco ANtoNio FerreirA2, ÉrikA ArAki okudA1, NorMA ALLeMANN1

The use of the ultrasonographic method for identification of an intraocular foreign body was reported in 1960 aiming diagnosis and monitoring of its surgical removal. Once in the eye, the foreign body (FB) may lodge in any of the ocular structures, which can generate important mechanical effects such as cataract formation, vitreous liquefaction, hemorrhage and retinal breaks. Regarding the compo­ sition of intraocular foreign bodies, the most frequent are: metal, glass, wood and plastic. The management and prognosis depends of the composition, location, size of the FB and the presence or not of inflammatory process and/or associated intraocular hemorrhage. The ultrasonographic findings of metallic intraocular foreign bo dies (IOFBs) are similar, producing an echo of high density with posterior shadowing. The spherical IOFB have specific signals due to sound reverberation produced, causing an acoustic artifact at B­mode, known as “comet tail”. Meanwhile, vegetal or organic nature IOFB, such as wood, may produce high reflectivity echoes although they could decrease over time due to decomposition process. Composition of intraocular foreign bodies: experimental study of ultrasonographic presentation