A normal fundoscopic exam is a regularly used medical practice when it comes to diagnosing a number of medical conditions that may be affecting the eye. This medical procedure is primarily used to identify any problems that may develop in the back of the eye, also known as the fundus. The fundus region of the eye contains a number of minute and critical parts of the eye such as blood vessels, the retina as well as the optic disk and choroid. A normal fundoscopy exam can be performed in three different ways - a direct fundoscopy, an indirect fundoscopy and a slit lamp fundoscopy. All three versions of the procedure will make the use of an object known as an ophthalmoscope. This object is made up of a concave lens and an inbuilt light source that combine to help the doctor get a clearer picture of the area he or she is trying to examine.
A direct fundoscopy is performed in a rather dark room with the patient placed in an upright position. The doctor will then direct the light source being emitted from the ophthalmoscope into the pupil of the eye and ask the patient to move his or her eye around to get a clearer vision of various parts of the back of the eye. The second version of the normal fundoscopic exam is known as an indirect fundoscopy and will require the patient to be semi reclined and the doctor will introduce some eye drops into the eyes in order to help dilation. The eyelids are then kept open while the doctor guides the light into the patient's eyes. The light source is usually placed on top of the doctor's head in a contraption that looks much like a miner's hat. As a result, the doctor's hands remain free in order to use a number of small tools to press against and better examine the patient's eye. Unlike the direct version of the procedure that provides unreversed images of about 15 times magnified, this version will produce reversed images of only about 2 to 5 times of magnification.
The third type of procedure is known as the slit lamp procedure and will also require the patient to rest his chin on a support block that provides greater stability to the head during the examination. Once the examination has been completed, the doctor will provide you with his normal fundoscopic exam findings. This normal fundoscopic report would then be analyzed by the doctor and treatment for your condition would begin.