[The slit lamp as videography console : Video article].

BACKGROUND

Today's slit lamps have been optimized to realise the principle of focal illumination. When doing clinical work the result is that the slit lamp can be operated simply by using intuition; however, other applications are excluded due to the rigid construction principle. These other applications are summarized in the accompanying film (available online).

METHODS

First, the slit lamp's classical fields of application are shown. Thereafter, a description follows of how modern methods of image processing and also simple alterations in the slit lamp illumination and observation optics open up exciting new perspectives for diagnostics and documentation.

RESULTS

By relying on the freely available image processing program Hugin, conventional use of the illumination and observation units can generate much larger panoramic views of the anterior parts of the eye. By using an ophthalmoscope as the light source, early stage keratoconus can be diagnosed by leaving the slit lamp's observation unit unchanged and noting the arrangement of Purkinje images 1, 2 and 4. With the same arrangement a relative afferent pupil deficit can be reliably detected. If the observation optics are changed by holding a corrective concave lens in front of the slit lamp's objective lens, the plane of focus can be shifted to capture oculoplastic and strabismus findings. Finally, the film shows that the slit lamp in its present form has much less potential than a future-oriented fundus videography.

CONCLUSION

By relying on thorough knowledge of the slit lamp's fundamental optics it is possible to suitably document all essential fields of ophthalmology using slit lamp videography. Slit lamp videography opens up a wide range of documentation possibilities, especially for the routine clinical work of general ophthalmologists.