Overview
Transillumination is the shining of a bright light through a body cavity or organ for diagnostic purposes. Transillumination can be used on the head, scrotum, or chest in the premature or newborn infant, or the breast in an adult female.
Review Date 8/20/2023
Updated by: Jacob Berman, MD, MPH, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.