Cover Tests Flashcards
Cover Test (CT) is done to determine what 5 things?
- presence of a deviation (phoria or tropia)
- laterality/which eye (unilateral or alternating)
- frequency of the deviation (constant or intermittent) 4. direction of the phoria or tropia
- magnitude (size) of the deviation.
What is orthophoria?
Orthophoria: the perfect alignment in the absence of a stimulus for fixation.
What is heterophoria/phoria?
Heterophoria/phoria: the tendency for the eyes to deviate when fusion is blocked
A small phoria is common in most people. How is it overcome?
By fusion
What is esophoria? What is exophoria?
A “posture” slightly inward is esophoria and a posture slightly out is exophoria.
What is decompensating phoria?
When motor fusion is no longer enough to overcome a phoria, it is called a decompensating phoria. This could result in discomfort or diplopia.
What is heterotropia/tropia?
Heterotropia/tropia: this is a manifest deviation Visual axes of both eyes do not intersect at fixation. Leads to diplopia or suppression of the deviated eye.
Why does a tropia occur?
A tropia could occur due to some of the following reasons:
- Anisometropia (difference in refractive errors between the two eyes)
- Abnormality of the extraocular muscles or strabismus
- Eye disease
Cover-Uncover test (Unilateral Cover Test): This helps to differentiate…
- presence of a deviation (phoria or tropia)
- laterality/which eye (unilateral or alternating)
- frequency of the deviation (constant or intermittent)
Which type of cover test is done first?
The cover-uncover test is done first.
Alternating cover test: This is to determines the
- direction of the phoria or tropia
2. magnitude (size) of the deviation
True or False: Cover test is done at distance and near..
True
What does the “cover” show?
- The “cover” shows if the deviation is a phoria or a tropia. (presence)
- It evaluates the visual axis of each eye when both eyes are viewing a target.
In the cover-uncover test, which eye do you look at?
You look at the eye that is NOT covered.
The cover-uncover test evaluates:
Phoria – the visual axis of both eyes are aligned on the target with both eyes open.
Tropia – the visual axis of one eye is aligned on the target while the other is misaligned with both eyes open.
What will you see in a cover-uncover test when there is phoria?
Phoria: visual axis of both eyes will stay aligned on the target
What will you see in a cover-uncover test when there is tropia?
Tropia: visual axis of one eye was on the target, the other is misaligned. Now it has to move to pick up fixation
What does the “uncover” in the cover-uncover test show?
“Uncover” shows if a tropia is alternating or unilateral tropias. (laterality)
“Uncover” also shows if a tropia is constant (always present) or intermittent. (frequency
Focus on the eye that is not occluded to determine if it picks up fixation.
What is a unilateral tropia?
- A unilateral tropia (Right or left tropia) is when one eye usually fixates when both eyes are open.
- The tropic eye only fixates when the preferred fixating eye is occluded.