ophthalmoscopy

ophthalmoscopy Examination of the interior of the eye, including the lens, retina, and optic nerve, using an ophthalmoscope. Ophthalmoscopy can be indirect or direct. Indirect ophthalmoscopy, which is generally performed by an ophthalmologist, employs a headlamp device to shine a very bright light into the eye. Direct ophthalmoscopy is in more common usage by many health practitioners. The examiner uses a device the size of a flashlight to examine the eye that consists of a concave mirror and a battery-powered light. The operator looks through a single monocular eyepiece into the patient’s eye. The ophthalmoscope is equipped with a rotating disc of lenses to permit the eye to be examined at different depths and magnifications. The ophthalmoscope operator can better see into the eye by using one of a number of drugs to dilate the patient’s pupil and enlarge the opening into the structures within the eye.