Ophthalmoscopy of the retinal nerve fiber layer. Use in detection of neurologic disease.

Ophthalmoscopic examination of the retinal nerve fiber layer may demonstrate changes associated with a variety of diseases. These alterations are of four general types: slit or rake defects, sector atrophy, diffuse atrophy, and density changes in the nerve fibers themselves. With practice and the use of a bright source of "red-free" light, recognition of these alterations provides a bedside tool for evaluation of te anterior visual pathways.