Why Does the Doctor Need a Photo of My Eye?

Ophthalmologists take photos of a patient’s eyes to monitor good health and track progress of disease. Here are some common ways the images are taken.

7:00 AM

Author | Kevin Joy

Ready for your close-up?

If you're going to the eye doctor, either for a routine exam or an existing issue, you should expect to have photos taken of your eyes.

MORE FROM MICHIGAN: Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

Those images, after all, are a key part of preventive care. They can help your ophthalmologist look for problems — and, if any are detected, to diagnose an issue and monitor it (or pursue treatment).

The tools offer valuable insight: "This technology can see things that we can't," says Timothy Steffens, director of imaging and information systems at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center.

Some methods capture the surface and surrounding areas of the eyes; others go deeper to survey the inside and back of the eye.

Each type of ocular photography is quick and simple. None require special preparation or involve any pain for the recipient, Steffens notes. Patients, he adds, needn't be scared.

He spoke more about common ways that images of an eye are obtained:

How ophthalmologists take eye photos

Standard digital camera: A basic 35mm digital camera may be used to document patients diagnosed with an external condition or disorder. Among them: droopy eyelids, Graves' eye disease, proptosis (when an eyeball protrudes) and skin cancer in or around the eye. "We use standard protocols so the images are consistent from visit to visit," Steffens says.

Slit lamp biomicroscope: The same tool your ophthalmologist uses to examine your eye. It uses a narrow beam of light and magnifies the view of the front of the eye. Says Steffens: "We're recording corneal diseases, cataracts and ocular tumors."

SEE ALSO: Making Prosthetic Eyes That Look Like the Real Thing

Fundus photography: A digital camera attached to a low-powered microscope gives a close-up view of the retina, optic nerve and macula. "You're using conventional photo techniques here with the help of dilation and the special optics in the fundus camera," Steffens says. It can also help ophthalmologists monitor changes in a patient's retina over time — and spot warning signs such as leaky hemorrhages caused by diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT): This technology involves a low-powered laser that goes through the pupil (although "we don't even touch the eye," Steffens notes) to measure thickness in the back of the eye — crucial for determining progression of and treatment for a variety of disorders, including macular degeneration, optic neuritis and glaucoma. The method, he adds, "has become a standard of care."

Fluorescein angiography: Also using a fundus camera, this diagnostic test requires a patient receive an injection of fluorescein dye in his or her arm just like when blood is drawn. The dye travels through the body to the eye's blood vessels in about 15 seconds and the resulting contrast allows doctors to more clearly notice signs of diabetic retinopathy, vein and artery occlusion, edema and tumors.


More Articles About: Eye Health Vision Testing Eye Disorders Kellogg Eye Center Eye Care & Vision
Health Lab word mark overlaying blue cells
Health Lab

Explore a variety of healthcare news & stories by visiting the Health Lab home page for more articles.

Media Contact Public Relations

Department of Communication at Michigan Medicine

[email protected]

734-764-2220

Stay Informed

Want top health & research news weekly? Sign up for Health Lab’s newsletters today!

Subscribe
Featured News & Stories Zoom of hazel eye close up
Health Lab
Diabetes and your eyes: 4 things to know
Diabetes can damage your eyes and could lead to permanent vision loss without treatment. A U-M ophthalmologist shares four crucial things to know about diabetes and your eyes.
Health Lab
Wet vs. Dry AMD: What’s the Difference?
Dry macular degeneration occurs when cells of the macula begin to thin and break down. It is characterized by drusen buildup and typically worsens over time. Wet macular degeneration happens when abnormal blood vessels grow in the back of the eye.
Health Lab
7 Healthy Habits to Help Prevent Macular Degeneration
AMD affects the eyesight of millions. A Michigan Medicine specialist offers easy ways to help slow or prevent the disease.
Headshot of Shahzad Mian, M.D.
News Release
Michigan Medicine names new chair of Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Shahzad I. Mian, M.D., has been appointed chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and the F. Bruce Fralick Professor of Ophthalmology in the Medical School and the Director of the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center
Minding Memory with a microphone and a shadow of a microphone on a blue background
Minding Memory
Vision Impairment as a Risk Factor for Dementia
The population of older adults living with dementia is expected to swell to nearly 14 million by 2050 and is estimated to cost the US economy more than 500 billion each year. In the absence of a cure for Alzheimer's disease, the primary cause of dementia, there's interest in understanding modifiable risk factors. In theory, getting a handle on the modifiable risk factors for dementia, would enable public health efforts to reduce cognitive decline in dementia at the population level. We've come a long way in understanding the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias. However, there's still work to be done. In this episode, we'll speak with Dr. Josh Ehrlich, a researcher at the University of Michigan, who has examined vision impairment as a risk factor for dementia.
eye exam
Health Lab
Few children – especially those with safety-net insurance – get vision checked at checkups
Few children are getting eyes checked at their pediatrician or other regular doctor’s office, and rates vary greatly by insurance status.