Gonioscopy
Results
Gonioscopy is an eye examination to look at the front part of your eye (anterior chamber) between the cornea and the iris. During gonioscopy, the drainage angle of your eye is checked. Your doctor measures the drainage angle, its width, and checks whether it is open or closed.
| Normal: | The drainage angle appears normal, is wide open, and is not blocked. |
|---|---|
| Abnormal: | Most people with open-angle glaucoma have a large, open drainage angle. The drainage angle may be blocked so fluid does not drain from the eye. |
Scar tissue or other damage to the drainage angle is seen. | |
Most people with closed-angle glaucoma have a drainage angle that is partially or completely blocked by the iris. Closed-angle glaucoma blocks the movement of fluid between the chambers of the eye. | |
Other conditions that can cause glaucoma-such as an eye injury, an eye infection, breakdown and flaking off of the color pigment of the iris, or a form of closed-angle glaucoma called plateau iris syndrome-may be seen. |
What Affects the Test
Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:
- You cannot sit or lie still during the test.
- You have an allergy to the medicine used to numb your eye during the test.
What To Think About
Other tests may be done to check for glaucoma or other eye problems. These tests include a slit lamp examination, tonometry (which measures the pressure inside the eyeball), ophthalmoscopy (which checks the optic nerve), and perimetry (which tests side vision). For more information, see the topics Slit Lamp Examination, Tonometry, Ophthalmoscopy, and Vision Testing.
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