What Is a PERRLA Exam for the Eyes?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPurposeRisks and ContraindicationsBefore the TestDuring the TestAfter the TestInterpreting Results

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Purpose

Risks and Contraindications

Before the Test

During the Test

After the Test

Interpreting Results

PERRLA is a quick test an eye doctor performs to examine the health of your pupils. The test results can also reveal other eye, brain, and nervous system problems. Learn more about the PERRLA eye exam.

Theresa Chiechi / Verywell

Purpose of Test

A PERRLA test is aneye examthat is a common part of a routine eye checkup. Eye doctors use it to check on the health of yourpupil, which is a black circle in the center of your eyes, located in the middle of the colored part of your eye called the iris.

PERRLA is actually an acronym that eye health professionals use to describe what they look for during a pupil exam. PERRLA stands for:

The PERRLA eye exam monitors your pupils' health and can help doctors check for certain brain and nervous system conditions. Some conditions checked for with a PERRLA exam include:

A PERRLA eye exam will not show with certainty that you have one of the conditions. Instead, the results provide a clue that may indicate the need for additional tests.

There are no risks involved with having a PERRLA eye exam. It can be performed on any patient.

Before a PERRLA eye exam, your eye doctor or other staff members may ask you general questions about your eye health. If you have noticed that your pupils look different recently, you should let them know.

The test typically takes place in an exam room at the eye doctor’s office. The PERRLA test takes just a couple of minutes. Eye doctors will have the results right away, but they may need to order additional tests based on the results.

You do not need to do anything special to prepare for a PERRLA test. If you are at the eye doctor for a routine eye exam, make sure to let the office know what vision insurance or health insurance you have, if any.

Your eye doctor will perform a PERRLA test. If the exam room is not already dim, the doctor will dim the lights. They will examine your pupil to check its size and shape.

The next step is a test called the swinging flashlight test, which involves moving a small flashlight from one eye to the other. While this happens, you are looking straight ahead. This helps to show how your pupils react to light. It can help detect disease of the retina (located in the back of your eye) or the optic nerve.

The exam should take just a couple of minutes. You should not feel any pain, although the shining of the flashlight into your eyes may feel uncomfortable.

If the PERRLA test is part of a routine eye checkup, the eye doctor may go on to perform other tests afterward.

You should not have any side effects from a PERRLA test.

The eye doctor should be able to give you the exam results during your appointment. Typically, the eye doctor will discuss the results with you based on the factors that are part of the PERRLA acronym.

For instance, if your pupils are not equal in size, the eye doctor may conduct other tests to figure out why they are unequal. This can help pinpoint the presence of various other health problems. Your eye doctor may be able to do those tests during that same appointment, or they may ask you to return for a future appointment.

If your eye doctor refers you to another eye specialist, make sure to ask for a summary of the PERRLA exam results or any other relevant eye tests. Although they will likely send these results to the other doctor, it is always good to have a copy for yourself.

A Word From Verywell

A PERRLA eye exam is a routine part of an eye checkup. It can help the eye doctor check for specific eye, brain, or nervous system conditions. The eye doctor may need to do some other follow-up exams. If you have any worries about taking a PERRLA eye exam, let your eye doctor know in advance.

5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is anisicoria?Dichter SL, Shubert GS.Argyll Robertson pupil. StatPearls.Glaucoma Research Foundation.Glaucoma facts and stats.Stanford Medicine.Pupillary responses.Broadway DC.How to test for a relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD).Community Eye Health. 2012;25(79-80):58-59.

5 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is anisicoria?Dichter SL, Shubert GS.Argyll Robertson pupil. StatPearls.Glaucoma Research Foundation.Glaucoma facts and stats.Stanford Medicine.Pupillary responses.Broadway DC.How to test for a relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD).Community Eye Health. 2012;25(79-80):58-59.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is anisicoria?Dichter SL, Shubert GS.Argyll Robertson pupil. StatPearls.Glaucoma Research Foundation.Glaucoma facts and stats.Stanford Medicine.Pupillary responses.Broadway DC.How to test for a relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD).Community Eye Health. 2012;25(79-80):58-59.

American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is anisicoria?

Dichter SL, Shubert GS.Argyll Robertson pupil. StatPearls.

Glaucoma Research Foundation.Glaucoma facts and stats.

Stanford Medicine.Pupillary responses.

Broadway DC.How to test for a relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD).Community Eye Health. 2012;25(79-80):58-59.

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