Special Tests Undertaken For Retinal Diseases and Uveitis

Retinal Diseases and Uveitis

Retinal diseases such as, retinopathy, retinal degeneration, retinal detachment, vascular occlusion and Uveitis itself are common in adults. Specialised tests such as these explained below are essential for diagnosis and retinal disease treatment in India.

• Low vision aid testing
  Low vision aids are utilized in the presence of certain diseases that may lead to permanent partial vision loss. Various aids are available and these can also be altered or tuned for a specific function.
  However, the ophthalmologist must motivate the patient to wear them as they require efforts and time to get used to them.
  They can enable a patient read fine print and depending on individual cases, the appropriate ones must be selected
• Fundus Photography
  This permits the documentation of the entire eye. It must be noted that Fundus photography of the optic disc is crucial in the measurement of Glaucoma.
  This procedure will also help the ophthalmologist compare the results with other investigations, for example, fluorescein angiography and also follow up.
• Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA)
  This test enables the evaluation of a variety of retinal diseases as mentioned above and it is one of the commonest tests performed for retinal diseases.
  During this test, an injectable dye known as sodium fluorescein is introduced into the bloodstream and photographs of the retina are taken using special filters.
  Your ophthalmologist will recommend this test in order to diagnose the diseases and as well as offer guidance during for treatment, especially with laser photocoagulation.
• Electroretinography and Electrooculography
  Both these tests are utilized to evaluate the function of the retina. During this test, light is projected into the retina and the electrical potentials that are produced are recorded using electrodes placed near and on the eye.
• Certain retinal degenerative diseases are only diagnosed with the electroretinography testing. A specialized computer software is utilized during this type of testing intended for data analyzation
  
  Indocyanine angiography (ICG)
  This test is quite similar to fluorescein angiography but the main difference is that ICG involves the injection of a dye known as Indocyanine green. This test requires a special infrared sensitive camera to capture the images produced digitally.

However, Indocyanine angiography and fluorescein angiography may be both performed to provide more information about the retina. In the case of choroidal vessels, an Indocyanine angiography is ideal whereas fluorescein angiography is best suitable for retinal blood vessels evaluation

• Ultrasonography
  This is a test that is most especially utilized for an evaluation of the back of the eye in the case of opaque. While evaluating a normal eye, it is easier to see the back of the eye with the help of indirect ophthalmoscope. Cases where the cornea is diseased or injured, the vitreous cavity and the lens will become opaque, preventing visualization
  Therefore an Ultrasonography is ideal for escaping various conditions and plan for the best treatment.