Ishihara test

System: General & Eye–Ear Signs · All general & eye–ear signs

What it is — and how it is elicited

Coloured plates of dots contain numbers or paths visible to people with normal colour vision but not to those with red-green colour deficiency (or vice versa).

What a positive finding suggests

Used to screen for inherited red-green colour vision deficiency.

◈ Behind the name

Shinobu Ishihara (1879–1963), Japanese ophthalmologist.

Browse the I section of the A–Z list or return to the Clinical Signs hub.

Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.