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Definition:
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Transillumination is the shining of a light through a body area or organ.
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How the test is performed:
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The room lights are dimmed or turned off so that the appropriate part of the body may be seen more easily. A bright light is then pointed at a location on the body, typically the head, scrotum, chest of a premature or newborn infant, or breast of an adult female.
Transillumination is also sometimes used to find blood vessels.
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How to prepare for the test:
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No preparation is necessary for this test.
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How the test will feel:
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There is no discomfort associated with this test.
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Why the test is performed:
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This test may be done along with other tests to diagnose:
In newborns, a bright halogen light may be used to transilluminate the chest cavity if there are signs of a collapsed lung or air around the heart. (Transillumination through the chest is only possible on small newborns.)
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Normal Values:
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Normal findings depend on the area being evaluated, and the normal tissue of that region.
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What abnormal results mean:
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Areas filled with abnormal air or fluid will light up when they should not. For example, in a darkened room, the head of a newborn with possible hydrocephalus will light up when this procedure is done.
When done on the breast:
- Internal areas will be dark to black if there is a lesion and bleeding has occurred (because blood does not transilluminate).
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Benign tumors tend to appear red.
- Malignant tumors are brown to black.
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What the risks are:
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There are no risks associated with this test.
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Special considerations:
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In general, transillumination is not a particularly good test for any of these above-mentioned disorders, and further tests, such as an x-ray or ultrasound, are needed to confirm the diagnosis.
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References:
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Elder JS. Disorders and anomalies of the scrotal contents. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 539.
Haddad GG, Green TP. Diagnostic approach to respiratory disease. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:chap 366.
Valea FA, Katz VL. Breast diseases: Diagnosis and treatment of benign and malignant disease. In: Katz VL, Lentz GM, Lobo RA, Gershenson DM, eds. Comprehensive Gynecology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007:chap 15.
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