Certified Ophthalmic Assistant Practice Exam

Which test employs prisms to center the corneal reflex?

1. Hess

2. Worth four dot

3. Hirschberg

4. Krimsky

The correct answer is: Krimsky

The Krimsky test is designed to assess strabismus by using prisms to align the corneal reflexes. In this test, prisms are placed in front of one eye to shift the position of the corneal reflection until both reflections are centered on the same point. This allows for a direct measurement of the angle of deviation, giving valuable information about the extent and type of misalignment present. The other options are indeed used in ophthalmology, but they serve different specific purposes. The Hess test evaluates the muscles of the eyes and how they function in relation to each other, specifically assessing the field of action of each eye's muscles but does not use prisms to center the reflex. The Worth four dot test is primarily meant for testing sensory fusion and binocular vision, not for centering the corneal reflex. The Hirschberg test also assesses strabismus by observing the corneal light reflex, but it does not employ prisms as a direct means to align the reflex, rather it measures the position of the light source in relation to the corneal reflex. Thus, the correct answer is the Krimsky test, which specifically employs prisms to achieve this precise alignment of the corneal reflections.