Why is Fundoscopy done in hypertension?

In addition, hypertension may accelerate nonvascular eye disease, including age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. Fundoscopy should be part of the physical examination on every patient with newly diagnosed hypertension since the retina is the only part of the vasculature that can be visualized noninvasively.

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How does high blood pressure affect your eyes?

Damage to the blood vessels in the retina (retinopathy). Damage to the blood vessels in the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina) can lead to bleeding in the eye, blurred vision and complete loss of vision. Having diabetes in addition to high blood pressure increase the risk of retinopathy.

What is AV nicking on Fundoscopic exam?

Arteriovenous nicking, also known as AV nicking, is the phenomenon where, on examination of the eye, a small artery (arteriole) is seen crossing a small vein (venule), which results in the compression of the vein with bulging on either side of the crossing.

What changes might be seen on Fundoscopy in patients with hypertension?

Funduscopic examination shows arteriolar constriction, arteriovenous nicking, vascular wall changes, flame-shaped hemorrhages, cotton-wool spots, yellow hard exudates, and optic disk edema.

How would you describe a normal Fundoscopic exam?

Normal Fundus. The disk has sharp margins and is normal in color, with a small central cup. Arterioles and venules have normal color, sheen, and course. Background is in normal color. The macula is enclosed by arching temporal vessels.

What are the complications of hypertension?

Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to complications including:

Heart attack or stroke.
Aneurysm.
Heart failure.
Weakened and narrowed blood vessels in your kidneys.
Thickened, narrowed or torn blood vessels in the eyes.
Metabolic syndrome.
Trouble with memory or understanding.
Dementia.

What does essential hypertension indicate?

Primary Hypertension (Formerly Known as Essential Hypertension) Essential (primary) hypertension occurs when you have abnormally high blood pressure that’s not the result of a medical condition. This form of high blood pressure is often due to obesity, family history and an unhealthy diet.

How do you test for hypertensive retinopathy?

Diagnosing hypertensive retinopathy typically involves an examination by an ophthalmologist based on the symptoms present. In some cases, an ophthalmoscope may be used to investigate the retina in the back of the eye. This instrument shines light into the eye, allowing doctors to see any signs of damage.

What causes retinal hemorrhages in hypertension?

Causes of hypertensive retinopathy Hypertensive retinopathy occurs when the blood vessels supplying blood to the retina in the back of the eye become damaged. The likelihood of damage to the retina increases with the severity of high blood pressure and the length of time over which the condition is experienced.

What are the benefits of a fundoscopic exam?

But the fundoscopic exam can discover pathological process otherwise invisible, examples are plentiful, and include recognizing endocarditis, disseminated candidemia, CMV in an HIV infected patient, and being able to stage both diabetes and hypertension. Hi.

What is a funduscopic examination?

Funduscopic examinationis a routine part of every doctor’s examination of the eye, not just the ophthalmologist’s. It consists exclusively of inspection. One looks through the ophthalmoscope(Figure 117.1), which is simply a light with various optical modifications, including lenses.

What are some examples of fundoscopic exams?

What is the role of funduscopy in the workup of hypertension (high blood pressure)?

In the early stages, funduscopy identifies arteriolar constriction, with a decrease in the ratio of the width of the retinal arterioles to the retinal venules. Chronic, poorly controlled hypertension causes the following: