Optic disc imaging in conscious rats and mice.

PURPOSE To determine whether useful images of the optic discs of conscious rats and mice can be obtained by using a photo slit lamp and a modified Goldmann-type fundus contact lens. METHODS Testing was performed with a photo slit lamp equipped with two 2x teleconverters and a digital camera through a Goldmann-type fundus contact lens that was fabricated for the rodent eye. RESULTS Images of the rat and mouse optic discs were obtained that are comparable to those used by ophthalmologists to assess optic neuropathy in glaucoma, a key part of the standard of care and of clinical investigation of this disease. The cup in the optic disc image of these rodents is darker than the neural rim of the disc, rather than lighter, as it is in humans. CONCLUSIONS In addition to the application of this imaging method to studies of the effect on optic disc cupping of induced increased intraocular pressure in rats and mice, by detecting and documenting the onset and the course of optic neuropathy, it should be valuable in identifying animal models of glaucoma, in studying neuropathogenic mechanisms, and in assessing the effects of experimental therapies.