Pupil Light Reflexes
OVERVIEW
The Hirschberg and Krimsky tests measure pupil light reflex and are performed by simply shining a bright light into the patient’s eyes and looking at the light in the pupils. When there are no alignment problems, the light reflection will be in approximately the same position in both pupils. However, if the patient has strabismus, the light will appear off-center in the crossed eye. This test is especially useful when examining young children.
Parents can quickly screen their children at home with this test. Shine a bright light at the child’s eyes while standing about 6 feet away. Is the light reflex positioned equally in the child’s pupils? If the light falls in a different spot in one pupil compared to the other, consult with an ophthalmologist. Beware however, that some eye turns are very subtle and may only be detected by an eye care professional.
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