Optic Disc Pit - Diagnosis

Diagnosis

Optic disc pits should be diagnosed by an eye care professional who can perform a thorough exam of the back of the eye using an ophthalmoscope. In a patient with a normal eye, the eye care professional would have findings similar to that depicted in Figure 1. In a patient with an optic pit, the eye care professional may find something similar to the depiction in Figure 2. More recently, the development of a special technology called optical coherence tomography (OCT) has allowed better visualization of the retinal layers. It has been used to demonstrate a marked reduction in the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer in the quadrant corresponding to the optic pit. This is not yet in standard use for diagnosis of an optic pit, but may be helpful in supporting a diagnosis.