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By Norman Byer
From Dr. Norman E. Byer’s “The Peripheral Retina in Profile” - Uploaded on Nov 9, 2012.
- Last modified by Suber S. Huang, MD, MBA, FASRS on Feb 9, 2013.
- Reviewed by Chayal Patel
- Rating
- Appears in
- Miscellaneous
- Condition/keywords
- shadow, posterior border, scleral indentation, tangential view of pigment epithelial layer, extreme anterior retina
- Description
- This shows the appearance of scleral indentation in a normal eye. Note the convex shadow which marks the posterior border of the indented area. It is caused in part by a small angle which separates the viewing axis from the illuminating axis thus allowing the observer to see slightly into the shadow beyond the illuminated crest of the indentation. It is also caused in part by viewing the pigment epithelial layer in a tangential manner. This shadow is of great diagnostic usefulness since it becomes a dark background against which many tiny retinal abnormalities can be seen beautifully by contrast. Two other particular advantages of scleral indentation will be demonstrated in the following photographs: First, the ability to see the extreme anterior part of the retina to the ora serrata and beyond, and second, the ability to examine any abnormality in multiple profiles depending on slight movements of the scleral depressor in various directions.
