General eye examination
Usually a full medical eye exam begins with a refraction (checking whether vision can be improved with a new pair of glasses), checking eye pressure, checking ocular alignment and motility and examining the anterior structures of the eye with a specialized slit lamp bio-microscope. A full examination often includes dilation of the pupils so that the posterior structure of the eye, such as the retina and optic nerve, can be examined. When findings raise the suspicion for pathologic conditions, special ancillary testing may be performed to provide additional information.