Refraction determination from infancy onwards

Above a certain level, an uncorrected refractive error (hyperopia = farsightedness, myopia = nearsightedness, or astigmatism) can lead to a developmental visual disorder (amblyopia). By means of the shadow test (skiascopy), we can determine the refractive power of the eyes of even the youngest children without the use of any apparatus. This allows us to assess whether an optical correction (glasses, contact lenses) is necessary so that the visual acuity can develop well.

With the skiascopy (shadow test), we can accurately measure even very complex refractive errors. We still measure even where apparative measurements fail.

For anterior segment anomalies:

• Corectopy (decentered pupil)
• Iriscoloboma (congenital cleft formation of the iris)
• Aniridia (missing iris)
• Corneal diseases (keratoconus, Peter's anomaly, Rieger's anomaly, sclerocornea, microcornea)
• Scarred cornea after trauma, inflammation
• Corneal changes due to dermoid or glaucoma
• for transplanted cornea
• Aphakia (no lens of the eye) e.g. after cataract surgery in infancy
• Lens luxation (displaced lens of the eye) e.g. in Marfan syndrome
• Lenticonus (deformation of the lens)
• Ptosis (drooping eyelid)

For posterior segment ocular anomalies.

• Retinopathy of prematurity
• Coloboma (congenital cleft formation of the eye cup)
• Retinitis pigmentosa
• Cone dystrophy/achromatopsia
• Optic nerve disease

For nystagmus (eye tremor)

‍