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The ophthalmoscope (or funduscope) is an instrument used to examine the eye
Eye

Eyes are Organ that detect light, and send signals along the optic nerve to the visual system and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system....
. Its use is crucial in determining the health of the retina
Retina

The vertebrate retina is a light sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera....
 and the vitreous humor.

In patients with headache
Headache

In medicine a headache or wiktionary:cephalalgia is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and sometimes neck. Some of the causes are benign while others are medical emergencies....
s, the finding of swollen optic disc
Optic disc

The optic disc or optic nerve head is the location where ganglion cell axons exit the eye to form the optic nerve. There are no light sensitive photoreceptor to respond to a light stimulus at this point....
s, or papilledema
Papilledema

Papilledema is optic disc swelling that is caused by increased intracranial pressure. The swelling is usually bilateral and can occur over a period of hours to weeks....
, on ophthalmoscopy is a key sign, as this indicates raised intracranial pressure
Intracranial pressure

Intracranial pressure, , is the pressure in the cranium and thus in the brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid ; this pressure is exerted on the brain's intracranial blood circulation vessels....
 (ICP) which could be due to hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus is a term derived from the Greek words "hydro" meaning water, and "cephalus" meaning head, and this condition is sometimes known as "water on the brain"....
, benign intracranial hypertension (aka pseudotumor cerebri) or brain tumor
Brain tumor

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells within the brain or inside the skull, which can be cancerous or non-cancerous .It is defined as any cranium tumor created by abnormal and uncontrolled Mitosis, normally either in the brain itself , in the cranial nerves , in the brain envelopes , skull, pituitary and pineal gland, or spread from...
, amongst other conditions.






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The ophthalmoscope (or funduscope) is an instrument used to examine the eye
Eye

Eyes are Organ that detect light, and send signals along the optic nerve to the visual system and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system....
. Its use is crucial in determining the health of the retina
Retina

The vertebrate retina is a light sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera....
 and the vitreous humor.

In patients with headache
Headache

In medicine a headache or wiktionary:cephalalgia is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and sometimes neck. Some of the causes are benign while others are medical emergencies....
s, the finding of swollen optic disc
Optic disc

The optic disc or optic nerve head is the location where ganglion cell axons exit the eye to form the optic nerve. There are no light sensitive photoreceptor to respond to a light stimulus at this point....
s, or papilledema
Papilledema

Papilledema is optic disc swelling that is caused by increased intracranial pressure. The swelling is usually bilateral and can occur over a period of hours to weeks....
, on ophthalmoscopy is a key sign, as this indicates raised intracranial pressure
Intracranial pressure

Intracranial pressure, , is the pressure in the cranium and thus in the brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid ; this pressure is exerted on the brain's intracranial blood circulation vessels....
 (ICP) which could be due to hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus is a term derived from the Greek words "hydro" meaning water, and "cephalus" meaning head, and this condition is sometimes known as "water on the brain"....
, benign intracranial hypertension (aka pseudotumor cerebri) or brain tumor
Brain tumor

A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of cells within the brain or inside the skull, which can be cancerous or non-cancerous .It is defined as any cranium tumor created by abnormal and uncontrolled Mitosis, normally either in the brain itself , in the cranial nerves , in the brain envelopes , skull, pituitary and pineal gland, or spread from...
, amongst other conditions. Cupped optic discs are seen in glaucoma
Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of diseases of the optic nerve involving loss of ganglion cell in a characteristic pattern of optic atrophy. Raised intraocular pressure is a significant risk factor for developing glaucoma ....
.

In patients with diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus , often referred to simply as diabetes , is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, usually due to a combination of genetic disorder and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels ....
, regular ophthalmoscopic eye examinations (once every 6 months to 1 year) are important to screen for diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is retinopathy caused by complications of diabetes mellitus, which can eventually lead to blindness.It is an ocular manifestation of systemic disease which affects up to 80% of all patients who have had diabetes for 10 years or more....
 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
Heine optotechnik

Company Profile HEINE Optotechnik is a manufacturer of medical diagnostic instruments and is based in Herrsching, near Munich, Germany. The company was founded in 1946 by the German physicist Helmut A....
, Riester and Keeler. Ophthalmoscopes are often sold with otoscope
Otoscope

An Otoscope or auriscope is a medicine device which is used to look into the ears. Health care providers use otoscopes to screen for illness during regular check-ups and also to investigate when a symptom involves the ears....
s as a diagnostic set.

History

Although originally invented by Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage, Royal Society was an England mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer....
 in 1847, it was not until it was independently reinvented by Hermann von Helmholtz
Hermann von Helmholtz

Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz was a Germany physician and physicist who made significant contributions to several widely varied areas of modern science....
 in 1851 that its usefulness was recognized.

While training in France, Andreas Anagnostakis
Andreas Anagnostakis

Dr Andreas Anagnostakis was a Greek people physician.He was born on the island of Antikythera in 1826 to a family that originated in Anopolis, Sfakia, Crete....
, 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 ophthalmoscope, 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
Welch Allyn

Welch Allyn, Inc. was founded in 1915 and is a manufacturer of medical diagnostic devices, cardiac defibrillators, patient monitoring systems, and miniature precision lamps....
.

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

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 cataract
Cataract

A cataract is a clouding that develops in the lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete Opacity and obstructing the passage of light....
s .

An indirect ophthalmoscope can be either monocular or binocular.

See also

  • Charles Schepens
    Charles Schepens

    Charles L. Schepens was an influential United States ophthalmologist, regarded by many in the profession as "the father of modern retinal surgery", and member of the French Resistance....
  • Retinoscope
  • Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy
    Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy

    Scanning laser ophthalmoscopy is a method of examination of the eye. It uses the technique of confocal laser scanning microscopy for diagnostic imaging of retina or cornea of the human eye....


External links

  • - sciencedaily.com -
  • about different types of ophtalmoscopy