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The “guitar pick” sign: a novel sign of retrobulbar hemorrhage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2015

Jonathan Theoret ,
Geoffrey E. Sanz ,
David Matero ,
Todd Guth ,
Catherine Erickson ,
Michael M. Liao  and
John L. Kendall
Jonathan Theoret
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, Colorado Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Geoffrey E. Sanz
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, Colorado Department of Emergency Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
David Matero
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine , University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado
Todd Guth
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, Colorado
Catherine Erickson
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, Colorado
Michael M. Liao
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, Colorado
John L. Kendall*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, Colorado
*
Denver Health and Hospital Authority, 777 Bannock Street, Denver, CO 80204; [email protected].

Abstract

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Retrobulbar hemorrhage is a rare complication of blunt ocular trauma. Without prompt intervention, permanent reduction in visual acuity can develop in as little as 90 minutes. We report a novel bedside ultrasound finding of conical deformation of the posterior ocular globe: the “guitar pick” sign. In our elderly patient, the ocular globe shape normalized post–lateral canthotomy and inferior cantholysis. Identifying this sonographic finding may add to the clinical examination when deciding whether to perform decompression.

Keywords

bedside ultrasonographyguitar pick signretrobulbar hemorrhageultrasonography
Type
Case Report • Rapport de cas
Information
Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine , Volume 13 , Issue 3 , May 2011 , pp. 162 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians 2011

References

REFERENCES

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