To compare the orbital volume calculated from various slice thickness facial computed tomography scans using a semi-automated computer program.

Axial and coronal scans of 2, 2.5, 3 mm slice thickness facial computed tomography scans were used to measure the orbital volume. The cross-sectional area was determined from each slice using a semi-automated computer program (MATLAB 2009a®, MathWorks, Inc., Natick, MA, USA), and then the volume was calculated from serial reconstruction of the cross sections.

The measured value in the 2 mm images was 33.14 ± 2.37 cm³ in the right orbit and 34.32 ± 2.60 cm³ in the left orbit for the axial scans, and 35.54 ± 3.58 cm³ in the right orbit and 34.96 ± 4.05 cm³ in the left orbit for the coronal scans. In the 2.5 mm images, the values were 33.28 ± 3.35 cm³ in the right orbit and 33.73 ± 4.10 cm³ in the left orbit for the axial scans, and 35.24 ± 3.98 cm³ in the right orbit and 35.10 ± 3.93 cm³ in the left orbit for the coronal scans. In the 3 mm images, the values were 33.23 ± 2.70 cm³ in the right orbit and 33.39 ± 2.69 cm³ in the left orbit for the axial scans, and 33.20 ± 3.64 cm³ in the right orbit and 32.95 ± 3.45 cm³ in the left orbit for the coronal scans. In the 3 mm image, there was not a significant difference in the calculated volume between the axial and coronal scans (p_3mm = 0.62).

Because there is no difference in the results of the orbital volumetric measurements between three other slice thicknesses in the axial scan, using axial scan images with a computer program that semi-automatically calculates orbital volume is useful. In addition, the volume measured by thick slice images has more reproducibility than the volume measured by thin slice images.