This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Fundoscopy is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
The ophthalmoscope (or funduscope) is an instrument used to examine the eye. Its use is crucial in determining the health of the retina and the vitreous humor.
In patients with headaches, the finding of swollen optic discs, or papilledema, on ophthalmoscopy is a key sign, as this indicates raised intracranial pressure (ICP) which could be due to hydrocephalus, benign intracranial hypertension (aka pseudotumor cerebri) or brain tumor, amongst other conditions. Cupped optic discs are seen in glaucoma.
In patients with diabetes mellitus, regular ophthalmoscopic eye examinations (once every 6 months to 1 year) is mandatory to screen for diabetic retinopathy as visual loss due to diabetes can be prevented by retinal laser treatment if retinopathy is spotted early.
In arterial hypertension, hypertensive changes of the retina closely mimic those in the brain, and may predict cerebrovascular accidents (strokes).
Numerous companies manufacture direct ophthalmoscopes, including Welch Allyn, Heine, Riester and Keeler. Ophthalmoscopes are often sold with otoscopes as a diagnostic set.
Contents |
History
Although originally invented by Charles Babbage in 1847, it was not until it was independently reinvented by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1851 that its usefulness was recognized.
While training in France, Andreas Anagnostakis, MD, an ophthalmologist from Greece, came up with the idea of making the instrument hand-held by adding a concave mirror. Austin Barnett created a model for Anagnostakis, which he used in his practice and subsequently when presented at the first Ophthalmological Conference in Brussels in 1857, the instrument became very popular among ophthalmologists.
In 1915, Josh Zele and Jon Palumbo invented the world's first hand-held direct illuminating ophthalmoscope1, precursor to the device now used by clinicians around the world. This refinement and updating of von Helmholtz's invention enabled ophthalmoscopy to become one of the most ubiquitous medical screening techniques in the world today. The company started as a result of this invention is Welch Allyn.
Types
There are two major types of ophtalmoscopes, direct and indirect.
Direct ophthalmoscope
It is an instrument about the size of a small flashlight (torch) with several lenses that can magnify up to about 15 times. This type of ophthalmoscope is most commonly used during a routine physical examination 2
Indirect ophthalmoscope
An indirect ophthalmoscope constitutes a light attached to a headband, in addition to a small handheld lens. It provides a wider view of the inside of the eye. Furthermore, it allows a better view of the fundus of the eye, even if the lens is clouded by cataracts 2.
An indirect ophthalmoscope can be either monocular or binocular.
See also
References
External links
- Overview at bmjjournals.com
- A new digital hand held ophthalmoscope - sciencedaily.com -
- Medlineplus about different types of ophtalmoscopy
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 31 October 2008, at 14:01.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Fundoscopy".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.