Objective: The aim was to describe the use of the DUB®-SkinScanner v3.9 (taberna pro medicum GmbH, Lueneburg, Germany) for the examination of the equine cornea.
Material and methods: Using the DUB®-SkinScanner v3.9 various pathological corneal conditions were pictured in the A- and B-mode at a frequency of 22 and/or 50 MHz in nine eyes of eight horses. Scans were obtained from standing horses or from horses under general anesthesia non-related to image acquisition.
Results: The examination allowed real time imaging and measurement of the equine cornea in vivo. Compared to slit-lamp biomicroscopy additional information was obtained in seven of nine eyes regarding the corneal thickness, in four of nine eyes regarding the epithelium, in five of nine eyes regarding the stroma and in five of nine eyes regarding the endothelium.
Conclusion and clinical relevance: The DUB®-SkinScanner v3.9 is a valuable high-resolution imaging tool for the evaluation of the equine cornea under practice conditions. The image acquisition does not depend on corneal transparency and provides additional diagnostic information to the standard slit-lamp biomicroscopy.
Keywords: Ultrasound; biometry; equine; eye; keratitis.