Ophthamology: Eye Exam

Question 1

The first and most important component of a basic eye exam.

Answer 1

Visual Acuity

Question 2

What is the uvea or uveal tract?

Answer 2

Iris, ciliary body, choroid

Question 3

What is astigmatism?

Answer 3

The refracting power of cornea is different in one meridian than another. Causes the image to be distorted.

Question 4

What is presbyopia and how is it corrected?

Answer 4

The lens loses its ability to accomodate (become more convex). Corrected with lenses like glasses or contacts.

CANNOT correct with refractive laser surgery!

Question 5

Why is it very important to test the visual acuity of children before age 7?

Answer 5

The visual cortex of the brain finishes developing around age 7. Children that have undiagnosed visual impairment will not fully develop this region of the brain and have permanent visual deficits in the brain that cannot be corrected.

Question 6

What is the main reason physicians perform an “upper lid eversion” test?

Answer 6

To look for foreign bodies

Question 7

When is an “anterior chamber depth test” used?

Answer 7

Test for open angle glaucoma before dilating the pupils.

-Glaucoma will push the irises outward toward the cornea. Light shined laterally thru the cornea will create shading on the iris if the iris is buldging from increased ocular pressure.

Question 8

What are Fluorescein strips used for?

Answer 8

Test for corneal abrasions

Question 9

What is the visual acuity test?

Answer 9

The ability to resolve a certain size object at a given distance.

Question 10

What visual acuity is considered legal blindness.?

Answer 10

20/200

also a visual field of less than 120 degrees

Question 11

Why would you palpate lymph nodes during an eye exam?

Answer 11

If the patient presents with a red eye they might have an infection and swollen lymph nodes.

Question 12

What does the “Afferent Pupillary Defect” or “Marcus Gunn” test evaluate?

Answer 12

Compares the signaling speed of the two optic nerves.

Question 13

What is the reason to have a patient focus on a distant object during the pupillary light exam or the ophthalmoscopy exam?

Answer 13

Focusing on a distant object dilates the pupil.

Question 14

What angle should a physician approach the eye during an ophthalmoscopy exam?

Answer 14

15 degrees temproal (lateral). This is because the optic nerve is located 15 degrees nasal (medial) to the midline or fovea.

Question 15

What is the red reflex?

Answer 15

Reflection of light off the retina.

-shadows or interruptions of the reflection can indicate retinal pathology, cataracts, or dirt on contact lenses

Question 16

What kind of ophthalmoscopic finding can indicate glaucoma?

Answer 16

An cup:disc ratio >0.5.

The physiologic cup is the bright yellow dot in the middle of the optic disc (nerve). This is normally about half the diameter of the optic disc. In glaucoma, the cup can dilate and be greater than half the diameter of the optic disc.