Optic nerve assessment and evaluation can be a complex task, but it is hoped that this website helps by way of a comprehensive image library and a series of useful tutorials. Optic nervehead examination is probably the most important step in the diagnosis of glaucoma and is also extremely important in monitoring patients with established glaucoma. The retina is the only portion of the central nervous system visible from the exterior. The optic nerve is composed of retinal ganglion cell axons and support cells. Axial t2 w a, axial stir b, axial c and coronal d fatsaturated contrastenhanced t1 w images obtained using a highresolution. Clinical examination of the optic nerve springerlink. The patient must have intact cognitive abilities and the ability to cooperate in order to successfully accomplish the previously described examination tasks.
Optic nerve evaluation in glaucoma slit lamp biomicroscopy with a fundus condensing lens is the ideal method to evaluate the optic nerve because it allows for a magnified stereoscopic view, thus enabling the observer to directly measure the vertical height of the optic disc6,18. There is a large degree of variability in the size of the normal optic nerve, varying in area over a sevenfold ratio 57. Pressure on the optic chiasm is usually due to pituitary tumors, and it produces a bitemporal hemianopia, damage beyond this level produces an homonymous hemianopia. It is also called the second cranial nerve or cranial nerve ii.
Raise your eye brow you will see frontal corrugation due to action of. Both portions combine to form the vestibulocochlear nerve. Jeanpierre barral, alain croibier, in manual therapy for the cranial nerves, 2009. May 11, 2020 the optic nerve head is the most anterior component of the optic nerve and corresponds to the 1 mm segment that is located within the eyeball i. The information received from the external environment passes to the rods and cones on the retina, and then to bipolar cells, ganglion. Normal anatomy of the optic nerve, chiasm and optic tracts. Begin the eye examination by assessing the patients visual acuity. The 12 cranial nerves are pairs of nerves that start in different parts of your brain. Papillary oedema with subretinal oedema page 110 optic nerve compression page 112 chiasma impairment page 114 amblyopia page 116 perinatal impairment of the central nervous system page 118 impairment of the central nervous system in adults page 120 determination of the organic nature of visual impairment page 122 nonophthalmic neurodegenerative pathologies. If not treated, glaucoma can take away all of your vision.
Multiple sclerosis is the commonest cause of optic nerve disease, but it may also occur with trauma and tumors of the orbit. For instance, impulses that are required for the actions of eyeball motor function moving the eyeball and other extrinsic forms of motor manipulation are permitted to pass through the nuclei for the oculomotor, abducen, or trochlear nerves. The optic nerve, also known as cranial nerve ii, or simply as cn ii, is a paired cranial nerve that. Hence, manual elevation of the weak side of the face can be helpful in.
Optic nerve, second cranial nerve, which carries sensory nerve impulses from the more than one million ganglion cells of the retina toward the. When the nerve emerges from the back of the eye, it passes through the remainder of the posterior. Paul rea, in clinical anatomy of the cranial nerves, 2014. The optic nerve, also known as cranial nerve ii, or simply as cn ii, is a paired cranial nerve that transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. Some common ways to record the appearance of the optic nerve include drawings or photographs. Michael coote, md the optic nerve examination is arguably the most important component of the.
Cranial nerve examination questions optic nerve ii. Capturing an image of the optic disc with a fundus camera yields a simple, relatively lowcost, and objective record of the appearance. Visual acuity testing is typically performed with corrective lenses, if the patient commonly uses them, but can be performed without them. Oct 23, 2009 optic nerve head examination is probably the most important step in the diagnosis of glaucoma and is also extremely important in monitoring patients with established glaucoma.
The optic nerve begins at the optic disk, a structure that is 1. Examination of the cranial nerves is an integral and important part of a complete. Although retinal ganglion cells rgcs, the projection neurons of the eye, show little capacity to regenerate their axons following optic nerve damage, studies spanning the 20th century showed that some rgcs can regenerate axons. Historically, it was thought to be a raised entity protruding from the retinal surface and by extension, was referred to as a papilla hence the term, papilloedema. However, poor vision does not necessarily indicate optic nerve involvement because a pure oculomotor nerve palsy can also result in a loss of the accommodative reflex and therefore poor near vision, which should improve with a pinhole. Cranial nerves, cranial nerve diseases, cranial nerve disorders, cranial. However, interpretation of photographs is subjective, leading to considerable inter and intraobserver differences in classification of the optic nerve as normal or glaucomatous 18, 22, 23. The optic nerve, about 5 cm long, is directed anteriorly and laterally, and runs through the optic canal to reach the orbit. Anatomy of optic nerve and its clinical significance. Imaging evaluation of patients with cranial nerve disorders ncbi. Optic nerve scans for glaucoma monterey bay eye center. Welcome to optic optic is an educational resource for health care professionals who are required to examine the optic nerve. Axial t2 w a, axial stir b, axial c and coronal d fatsaturated contrastenhanced t1 w images obtained using a. The cranial nerve exam is a type of neurological examination.
Welcome to is an educational resource for health care professionals who are required to examine the optic nerve. Common cranial nerve examination questions for medical finals, osces and mrcp paces. The optic nerve originates from the confluence of ganglion cell axons as they traverse the scleral canal to exit the eye, and ends anatomically as these axons merge with the axons of the fellow optic nerve at the chiasm. Internal exam3, including direct andor indirect ophthalmoscopy4.
Cranial nerve examination neurology osce skills medistudents. Another way that your doctor can record the appearance of your optic nerve is with a computerized optic nerve scan. The optic nerve has been classified as the second of twelve paired cranial nerves but it is. This record allows the examiner to compare the present status of the patient with the baseline status without resorting to memory or grading systems. Optic nerve anatomy the optic nerve is a sensory nerve. Optic disc stereophotographs are complementary to slit lamp examination and may pick up. Mar 01, 2015 intracranial optic nerve length10mm dm4. Optic nerve disorders range from the manifestations of lifethreatening intracranial or systemic disease, to minor congenital anomalies. In addition, when used with a redfree filter, it enhances detection of the nerve fiber layer of the. Optic disc measurement is essential in glaucoma evaluations. The optic disc is slightly depressed at its center, where it is pierced by the central artery of the retina at the optic disc is a complete absence of rods and cones so that it is insensitive to light and is referred to as the blind spot. Disc size small, average, large should be estimated.
A careful examination of the optic nerve by your eye doctor is the most important part of a glaucoma evaluation. Presentation layout embryology of optic nerve introduction parts of optic nerve blood supply clinical significance 3. The optic nerve can be swollen for many different reasons, including increased pressure on the optic nerves, loss of blood flow to the optic nerve, and inflammation inside the eye. Optic nerve scans are a new tool your doctor can use both to tell if you have glaucoma, and to make sure that your treatment is working to prevent further optic nerve damage and loss of sight. Glaucoma strategy for examining the optic nerve by tony realini, md, mph, eyeworld contributing writer optic nerve features of glaucoma should be looked for. Please help john in his mission to restore vision for those affected by optic nerve damage by supporting the john sutton fund for optic nerve regeneration. In terms of its embryonic development, the optic nerve is a part of the central nervous system cns rather than a peripheral nerve. Cn iii vi merge into the cavernous sinuses and pass through the. Wait for the scan lines to go from red to blue, and adjust the scan and patient to closely match the baseline image at the bottom of the screen figure 26. And repeated examinations of the optic nerve over time are the best way.
Each test is designed to assess the status of one or more of the twelve cranial nerves ixii. Optic neuritis is the first sign of ms in about 15 to 20 percent of. For the people who have a swollen optic nerve, your doctor may consider further testing to determine if you have something other than. If you have questions about optic nerve scans, your doctor will be happy to discuss them with you. With the indirect ophthalmoscope, cupping of the optic nerve can be detected, but, in general, optic nerve cupping and pallor appear less. While the optic nerve is well protected inside the skull and is unlikely to suffer any physical damage, there are some medical conditions that can affect it and which should be guarded against. The medial fibres from each side cross decussate to the opposite side in the optic chiasm. Optometry, maharajgunj medical campus, institute of medicine,t. Careful clinical assessment, which relies upon a thorough. In humans, the optic nerve is derived from optic stalks during the seventh week of development and is composed of retinal ganglion cell axons and glial cells.
Apr 05, 2018 clinical examination of cranial nerve. Damage to the optic nerve produces unilateral visual problem. A fatal case of malignant atrophic papulosis degos disease with optic nerve and spinal cord involvement is described. Magnetic resonance imaging mri of the optic nerve showed abnormal signal enhancement on fat suppressed t1 weighted images after intravenous meglumine gadopentetate infusion. Page 45 patients with isolated optic nerve impairment page 46 preperimetric glaucoma page 48 isolated impairment on oct page 48. So much of what we see in internal medicine is vascular related and so viewing the fundus is a great way to get a sense for the patients overall vasculature. The direct ophthalmoscope provides a view of the optic disc through a small pupil. And repeated examinations of the optic nerve over time are the best way to make sure your glaucoma is well controlled and not getting worse. Likewise the fundus is the only location where vasculature can be visualized. The cranial nerve emerge from or enter the skull the cranium, as opposed to the spinal nerves which emerge from the vertebral column. The optic nerve can be divided into 1 the intraocular part, comprising the retinal ganglion cell layer, the retinal nerve fiber layer, and the optic disc, and 2 the retrobulbar part, consisting of the intraorbital portion about 25 mm long, the. The optic nerve is the second cranial nerve and is one of the more unusual cranial nerves as it develops from the diencephalon. This visual loss may be due to bulbar or retrobulbar invasion of the optic nerve by granulomas, compression of the optic nerve by a granulomatous mass, or optic atrophy.
Inflammation of this nerve results in optic neuritis. Its basic responsibility is to transmit information received from rods and cones in the eye known as photoreceptors, and then deliver this information that is received from the retina. The optic nerve head is the most anterior component of the optic nerve and corresponds to the 1 mm segment that is located within the eyeball i. It is the second of several pairs of cranial nerves. Clinical examination of optic nerve physiology practicals. The glaucomatous optic neuropathy evaluation gone project showed that they are easily missed. It is used to identify problems with the cranial nerves by physical examination. In order to detect any changes in your optic nerve, your doctor must keep track of your. For instance, despite similar cuptodisc ratio, due to the size, optic disc a may be normal while optic disc b may be pathological note. Whats the connection between ms and optic neuritis. The royal game of ur playthrough international tabletop day 2017 duration. The nerve to see each year, millions worldwide suffer from diseases such as glaucoma and injuries such as head trauma that damage the optic nerve, leaving them with permanent vision loss and. Optic nerve and spinal cord manifestations of malignant.
Optic nerve functions there are additional synapses that regulate other action and the passage of information. The cranial nerve examination involves a number of steps as you are testing all 12. The millimeter scale shown is a representation of the numbers read in the reticule of the slit. Dec 12, 2018 the optic nerve is the second cranial nerve. The optic disk forms from the convergence of ganglion cell output fibres called axons as they pass out of the eye. John sutton fund for optic nerve regeneration schepens. Optic nerve head classic glaucomatous signs at the onh include thinning or notching of the neuroretinal rim nrr, asymmetry of. The optic disc can be examined clinically with a direct ophthalmoscope, an indirect ophthalmoscope, or a slitlamp biomicroscope using a posterior pole lens. The optic nerve leaves the retina about 3 mm to the medial side of the macula lutea by the optic disc. Optic nerve scans for glaucoma eye care photo credit. A large nerve can be expected to have a larger cup to disc ratio can be expected. The optic nerve has been widely used to investigate factors that regulate axon regeneration in the mammalian cns. It is a special sensory nerve responsible for vision.
The optic nerve is the nerve that transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. The indirect ophthalmoscope is used for examination of the optic disc in young children, uncooperative patients, individuals with high myopia, and individuals with substantial opacities of the media. It ends as these axons merge with axons of the contralateral optic nerve at the optic chiasm. Any clinical assessment of the optic nerve needs to be made with respect to disc size. Optic nerve a careful examination of the optic nerve by. The optic nerve is the nerve that transmits visual information from the light receptors of the retina to the brain. Nerve impulses, stimulated by light, are conducted through the retina, optic nerve, and optic tract into the brain. Optic nerve page 42 rnfl page 42 macular ganglion cell complex page 44 optic nerve or retinal nerve fibres. Optic nerve involvement can present with an acute or subacute, painful, or chronic, painless visual loss graham et al.
Anatomic divisions of the optic nerve include intraocular, intraorbital, intracanalicular, and intracranial portions. Pdf examination of the cranial nerves is an integral and important part of a complete neurological examination. This is the degeneration of the nerve fibers that make up the optic nerve. The optic nerve passes back from the posteromedial aspect of the eyeball, and through the optic canal into the middle cranial fossa. Photography, particularly simultaneous stereophotography, is an excellent method for recording the appearance of the optic nerve for detailed examination and sequential followup. Fundoscopic ophthalmoscopic exam stanford medicine 25. You may be asked to only examine the visual cranial nerves cn 2,3,4,6 or the bulbar cranial nerves cn 9,10,12. The optic nerve begins at the anterolateral corner of the optic chiasm pathway and relationships. This can cause you to experience vision loss and other troubling symptoms.
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