Transillumination

Definition:

The shining of a light through a body cavity or organ.

How the test is performed:

The room lights are dimmed or turned off for better visualization. Then a bright light is shined through a cavity or organ, typically the head, scrotum, breast, or chest in the premature newborn infant.

How to prepare for the test:

No preparation is necessary for this test.

How the test will feel:

There is no discomfort associated with this test.

Why the test is performed:

This test is most commonly performed on newborns or infantswhen the following conditions are suspected:

• hydrocephalus, or males suspected of having a
• hydrocele
• pneumothorax (air which has leaked from the lung into the chest cavity. This problem can often be detected by transillumination in small newborn infants (especially premature infants). Transillumination may suggest the presence of pneumothorax but diagnosis of pneumothorax is always confirmed by chest X-ray

Transillumination on adults:

• breast cyst or lesion. (this test is preformed in adult women when the presence of a breast cysts or other lesion is suspected.

Update Date: 02/09/00
Updated by: J. Gordon Lambert, MD, Associate Medical Director, Utah Health Informatics and adam.com editorial