What structures make up the fundus?

What structures make up the fundus?

• A. optic nerve head; retina and its vasculature; choroid; sclera
• B. Optic nerve head only
• C. Retina and its vasculature only
• D. Sclera only

Answer: (A)

The fundus is the interior surface of the posterior segment of the eye that you visualize with ophthalmoscopy. It includes the retina with its vessels, the optic nerve head (the disc), and the layers that lie beneath and around it—the choroid—plus the sclera forming the outer boundary of the posterior segment. Because the fundus exam aims to assess all these structures together, the best answer lists all of them: optic nerve head, retina and its vasculature, choroid, and sclera. The other options leave out important components—for example, focusing only on the optic nerve head misses the retina and its vessels; focusing only on the retina misses the optic nerve head and deeper layers; and sclera alone omits the retina and optic nerve head.

The fundus is the interior surface of the posterior segment of the eye that you visualize with ophthalmoscopy. It includes the retina with its vessels, the optic nerve head (the disc), and the layers that lie beneath and around it—the choroid—plus the sclera forming the outer boundary of the posterior segment. Because the fundus exam aims to assess all these structures together, the best answer lists all of them: optic nerve head, retina and its vasculature, choroid, and sclera. The other options leave out important components—for example, focusing only on the optic nerve head misses the retina and its vessels; focusing only on the retina misses the optic nerve head and deeper layers; and sclera alone omits the retina and optic nerve head.