How Performed: The biomicroscope and slit-lamp are swung in front of you and you rest your chin and forehead on a support to keep your head steady. Your eye is then examined through the biomicroscope. A fine strip of paper that is stained with an orange colored dye (fluorescein) is touched to the side of your eye. The dye stains the front part of the eye to help with the examination. The dye rinses out of the eye with tears. After this examination, drops are put in your eyes to dilate the pupils. The drops take about 15 to 20 minutes to work. The examination is then repeated, allowing the posterior segment of the eye to be examined.

How To Prepare: Adults:
No special preparation is necessary for this test.

Children:
The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child’s age, interests, previous experience, and level of trust. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following topics as they correspond to your child’s age:

• toddler test or procedure preparation (1 to 3 years)
• preschooler test or procedure preparation (3 to 6 years)
• schoolage test or procedure preparation (6 to 12 years)
• adolescent test or procedure preparation (12 to 18 years)

How It Feels: There is some discomfort with the drops. Your eyes will be more sensitive to light for approximately 4 hours until the pupil is no longer dilated.

Risks: The dilating drops may cause nausea, vomiting, dryness of mouth, flushing, and dizziness. These symptoms rarely occur.

Why Performed: The test looks for abnormalities of the eyelids, sclera, lens, conjunctiva, iris, and cornea.

Normal Values: Structures in the eye are normal.

Abnormal Results: Abnormal results may indicate general vision problems, corneal ulcers and infections or degeneration, an alteration in the shape of the cornea (farsightedness, nearsightedness), diseases of the retina, glaucoma (increase in eye pressure), cataracts, ocular inflammation (uveitis), and diseases that attack the nerves in the eyes.

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed:

• cataract
• corneal injury
• macular degeneration
• presbyopia
• retinal detachment
• retinal vessel occlusion
• retinitis pigmentosa
• Sjogren syndrome
• uveitis

Cost:

Special Considerations: Not applicable.