Slit Lamp Examination
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Test Overview
The slit lamp exam uses an instrument that provides a magnified, three-dimensional (3-D) view of the different parts of the eye. During the exam, your health professional can look at the front parts of the eye, including the clear, outer covering (cornea), the lens, the colored part (iris), and the front section of the gel-like fluid (vitreous gel) that fills the large space in the middle of the eye.
Special lenses can be placed between the slit lamp and the cornea (or directly on the cornea) to view deeper structures of the eye, such as the optic nerve, retina, and the area where fluid drains out of the eye (drainage angle 
). A camera may be attached to the slit lamp to take photographs of different parts of the eye.
See a picture of the structures of the eye .
Fluorescein dye eyedrops may be used during a slit lamp examination to make it easier to detect a foreign body, such as a metal fragment, or an infected or injured area on the cornea.
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| Last updated: | July 06, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS |
| Reviewed By: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Carol L. Karp, MD - Ophthalmology |
| Editors: | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer |
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