Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT) Practice Exam

True or False: The latent hyperopic portion of the cycloplegic refraction will not require plus lenses.

1. True

2. False

3. Depends on patient age

4. Depends on patient health

The correct answer is: True

In the context of cycloplegic refraction, the latent hyperopia refers to the portion of hyperopia that can be compensated for by the eye's accommodation but becomes evident when accommodation is paralyzed with cycloplegic agents. During the cycloplegic refraction process, the active accommodation is temporarily disabled, allowing the measurement of the total refractive error without the influence of the patient's ability to focus. As a result, the latent hyperopia is revealed as it is typically masked by accommodation. When assessing the hyperopia revealed during cycloplegic refraction, any additional plus lenses are generally not needed for this latent portion, as it represents the part of hyperopia that is no longer being compensated for through the accommodation. The expected outcome in a latent hyperopic case indicates that plus lenses are not necessary to address this component. The phrase "will not require plus lenses" in the true/false question statement aligns with the understanding that the latent hyperopia, once uncovered by cycloplegia, does not necessitate additional plus lens power for the purpose of correction during the refraction.