Slit Lamp Examination

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 doctor 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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Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH	Last Updated: June 18, 2009
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Christopher J. Rudnisky, MD, FRCSC - Ophthalmology
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