Our Optic Disc Drawings
There are optic disc drawings accompanying the stereo photographs. These are for a guide for those learning how to examine the optic disc, and are examples of how to document examination findings in medical records. Careful documentation of clinical examination findings is important for future comparisons in chronic disease.
1. There is always an outer disc circumference in the disc drawing and this represents the scleral ring.
2. The neuroretinal rim is represented inside the scleral ring.
3. When the rim margin is well defined a contour line is used
4. When the neuroretinal rim has a sloping profile (described as saucerised) radial hash lines are used. These always start at the scleral rim and their inner border represents the place where the innermost nerve fibres meet the lamina cribrosa.
5. Absent neuroretinal rim is shown as a gap with neither a contour line or hash marks inside the corresponding part of the scleral ring.
6. Optic disc haemorrhages are shown in red. Where possible the start and finish positions of the red lines are anatomically correct.