LECTURE NOTES: Visual Optics 1

13. Entoptic Phenomena

13. Introduction

Visual effects arising due to conditions within the eye are called entoptic phenomena.
Shadows, diffraction, polarization and physiological factors are some of the causes for
entoptic phenomena. They are totally subjective as only the subject observes an entoptic
phenomenon. While many of these are harmless, some of these could be indicative of
certain pathological conditions.

13.1 Shadows

These may be caused by foreign bodies, floaters (cellular debris in the vitreous referred to
as muscae volitantes meaning ‘flying gnats’), blood vessels on the retina or mucous on
the cornea.

A small source of light placed at or closer than the primary focal plane of the eye is the
most suitable illumination to study shadows of opacities in the ocular media. A large
source will cause more penumbra. If the source is moved up or down then the subject’s
description of the shadow or an observation of the movement of the shadow with an
ophthalmoscope, will reveal the size and location of the opacity that causes the shadow
(see Fig.13.1).

Fig.13.1 Movement of the shadows within the blur circle. Shadow B of the object B at the
pupil remains at the centre as the source is moved. Shadow A of the object A moves up
as the source is moved down. The subject perceives this upward movement of the shadow
A as a downward movement.

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Opacities in the anterior segment of the eye might not even be noticed by the subject as
the rays around it could form a full image on the retina! Shadows are very prominent for
objects lying close to the retina. For middle aged people at some stage the vitreous
detaches from the retina. When this happens, at times, some pigments might stick to the
posterior vitreous (see Fig.13.2). As this layer is very close to the retina, the pigments
cast a sharp well defined shadow on the retina. Then the subject sees a pattern all the
time along the corresponding eccentric field angle.

Fig. 13.2. Posterior vitreous detachment.

When a pinhole is held close to the eye against bright light and moved around, a normal
subject will be able to perceive the presence of capillaries around the fovea through the
shadows of the capillaries. The central 1 ½ degrees of the fovea is devoid of capillaries.
As the capillaries are close to the retina, we are able to perceive the shadow of moving
blood cells!

To study the peripheral retina, oblique illumination of the retina may be achieved
through the sclera as the sclera is translucent.

13.2 Scotoma

The region of the retina that is incapable of perceiving any light is referred to as
scotoma. A scar or lesion could cause scotoma. When scotoma is present the subject will
perceive a dark spot at the corresponding field angle. However, due to binocular vision,
quite often, scotoma might go unnoticed for a long time by the subject. The blind spot
may be considered as a large scotoma. But the visual cortex makes up for it and we are
generally not aware of its presence.

13.3 Diffraction

The cornea and the lens have a fibrous structure. The corneal structure is too fine and it
causes halo around bright point objects when the cornea becomes oedematous. The lens
has radial structure and causes the light from a distant point source to diffract and cause a
regular pattern referred to as lens cross. Sometimes, the changes in the structure of the

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cornea caused by contact lens wear, mucous, tear, or tiny hillocks caused by odema could
cause bright scattering of light into the retina. To differentiate the light diffracted by the
lens from the light diffracted by the cornea, a stenopaic slit may be passed across the
pupil. If the diffraction is from the lens, the diffraction pattern observed by the subject
will depend on the slit position as shown in the Fig.13.3. If it is from the cornea, there
will be no change.

Horizontal grating
structure

Light spreads out

vertcally

Fig.13.3 Appearance of the lens star as a stenopaic slit is moved across the pupil.

A cataractous eye lens would diffusely scatter the light and reduce the contrast of the
retinal image and the vision becomes hazy. However, if the vision becomes cloudy or
hazy suddenly it could be due to the flow of blood into the vitreous.

13.4 Polarisation

The crystalline structure of the cells found in the fovea are anisotropic and cause an
interference effect with polarized light. When polarized light falls on the fovea, the
subject perceives streaky interference fringes resembling a propeller in shape. The fringe
pattern seen is called the Haidinger’s brush (see Fig.13.4). The Haidinger’s brush is
always centered on the fovea. As stable images on the retina tend to fade away owing to
the process of adaptation, a slowly rotating polarizer is used to generate a slowly rotating
Haidinger’s brush. Haidinger’s brush is used to check if the subject is using his eccentric
vision (2 to 5) to see objects clearly. If the subject uses his eccentric vision, then the
Haidinger’s brush will not be centered on the object he is fixating on. It also suggests

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that the subject is having some problem with his fovea. Macular odema affects the optical
properties of the fovea and disrupts the Haidinger’s brush. Thus, the Haidinger’s brush
may be used to detect the presence of macular odema.

Fig. 13.4 Haidinger’s brush

13.5 Physiological factors

Gentle pressure applied externally on the eye globe causes triggering of neurons and
often the subject perceives light along the opposite direction in the field. Visual
sensations caused by sources other than light (such as pressure), are referred to as
phosphenes.
Another example of an entoptic phenomenon which arises from physiological changes is
retinal detachment in which the subject perceives arcs of light resembling lightning.

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