Swinging Light Test

The swinging flashlight test is used to help a practitioner identify a relative afferent pupillary defect.

Swinging light test. Both pupils should constrict. The swinging light test is used to detect a relative afferent pupil defect rapd. In dim room light the examiner notes the size of the pupils. In the swinging flashlight test a light is alternately shone into the left and right eyes.

Relative afferent pupillary defect rapd or marcus gunn pupil is a medical sign observed during the swinging flashlight test whereupon the patient s pupils constrict less when a bright light is swung from the unaffected eye to the affected eye. Relative afferent pupillary defect afferent pupillary defect swinging light test marcus gunn pupil a change in the pupillary reflex caused by unilateral optic nerve or retinal disease. Here s how you do it. Swing the light back and forth between the eyes.

The swinging flashlight test compares the direct light reactions of both eyes levatin et al 1973 preconditions are two pupils with the ability to react equally i e no fixed or poorly reacting pupil no marked anisocoria fig. A means of detecting differences between the two eyes in how they respond to a light shone in one eye at a time. Shine light into right r eye. Swing light to left l affected eye.

The affected eye still senses the light and produces pupillary sphincter constriction to some degree. The marcus gunn pupil is a relative afferent pupillary defect indicating a decreased pupillary response to light in the affected eye. The test can be very useful for detecting unilateral or asymmetrical disease of the retina or optic nerve but only optic nerve disease that occurs in front of the optic chiasm. Swinging flashlight test or marcus gunn test is one of the most basic eye exams that neurologists ophthalmologists optometrists and other physicians perform when visiting most of their.

Instructions on how to perform the swinging light test to detect a relative afferent pupillary defect. For an adequate test vision must not be entirely lost. Swing light back to right normal eye. A normal response would be equal constriction of both pupils regardless of which eye the light is directed at.

16 7 if this is the case a different approach is necessary. The patient is asked to gaze into the distance and the examiner swings. Check us out on facebook for daily free review questions and updates. Instead of pupil constriction both pupils will dilate.

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