Ophthalmoscopy or fundoscopy is a test that allows an optometrist to view the fundus, which is the interior surface of the eye, opposite the lens, and includes the retina, optic disc, macula and the fovea (responsible for sharp central vision) and other structures, using an ophthalmoscope. Ophthalmoscopy is crucial in determining the health of the retina and the vitreous humor.
Indirect ophthalmoscopy is part of every standard eye examination and produces an inverted, or reversed binocular image of 2 to 5 times magnification of the retina. It allows a better and more detailed view of the fundus of the eye, even if the lens is clouded by cataract. Crucially it gives the optometrist a stereoscopic (3D) view of retinal structures, allowing for better assessment, understanding and possible diagnosis. Indirect ophthalmoscopy might alert an optometrist to the need for further investigative tests.