Ophthalmic examination

Question 1

What is blepharospasm?

Answer 1

Involuntary twitching or closing of eyelids, sign of ocular discomfort

Question 2

What is exophthalmos?

Answer 2

Bulging of the eye out of the socket

Question 3

What is enophthalmos?

Answer 3

Eye is “sunken”, globe is situated more posterior than normal within orbit

Question 4

What is strabismus?

Answer 4

Eye misalignment. One eye is turned to a different direction than the other eye

Question 5

What is Schirmer tear test?

Answer 5

Measures the production of the watery part of the tears. Used to diagnose keratoconjunctivitis sicca.

Should be done before the eyes are cleaned or handled

Question 6

What should you examine/look for in case of blepharospasm?

Answer 6

-Foreign body in conjunctiva, under eyelids, third eyelid
-Aberrant cilia or hair (distichia or ectopic cilia)
-Stain with fluorescein to look for corneal ulcer
-Examine third eyelid (use topical analgesia)

Question 7

Which areas can you examine with a biomicroscope? (4)

Answer 7

Eyelids, cornea, anterior chamber, lens

Question 8

Biomicroscope has two beams: round and slit. What is the slit beam useful for?

Answer 8

Gives indication on the depht of lesions (cornea/lens)

Question 9

What is entropion?

Answer 9

Eyelid is turned inwards –> eye is in contact with fur and gets irritated.

Question 10

What is ectropion?

Answer 10

Eyelid sags or turns outwards

Question 11

What is fluorescein staining used for?

Answer 11

Looking for corneal ulcers. Ulcers will stain green.

Deep ulcers will have a clear spot in the middle with green stained around

Question 12

What is the Jones test?

Answer 12

Initial assessment of the nasolacrimal drainage when using fluorescein dye. Dye that has been put in the eye should come out the nose.

False negatives are common.

Question 13

When is Rose Bengal dye used?

Answer 13

When searching for small defects in the superficial corneal epithelium (e.g. in feline herpetic keratitis)

Question 14

What is tonometry?

Answer 14

Measurement of intraocular pressure

Question 15

High intraocular pressure is called…?

Answer 15

glaucoma

Question 16

In which pathological condition is intraocular pressure low?

Answer 16

Uveitis (intraocular inflammation)

Question 17

When are iatrogenic changes in intraocular pressure measurement possible?

Answer 17

In case of high readings. Low readings are not possible, but are aktual

Question 18

What is normal intraocular pressure?

Answer 18

10-25 mmHg

Difference between eyes: same or less than 8 mmHg

Older animals have lower IOP than younger

Question 19

What area can you examine with ophthalmoscopy?

Answer 19

Fundus

Question 20

What is direct ophtalmoscopy? Pros and cons

Answer 20

-You use a direct handheld ophtalmoscope to get an upright image of the patient’s fundus
-Field of view is more restricted than with indirect methods, lack of depht perception
-Low cost
-Examiner’s face needs to be close to the animal

Question 21

What is anisocoria?

Answer 21

Different pupil size

Question 22

What is dyscora?

Answer 22

Abnormal pupil shape

Question 23

What is indirect ophthalmoscopy? Pros and cons

Answer 23

-Monocular indirect ophthalmoscope (with handheld lens)
-Binocular indirect ophthalmoscope (with headset)
-Large field of view
-Inverted and reversed image
-Safer distance from animal
-Expensive