Glossary of terms used in ophthalmology

This section is intended to define terms and ex- canthus inner or outer angle of the eyelids.
plain jargon. An attempt has been made to mini- cataract lens opacity.
mize jargon in the text, but some may have crept in. CFS counting fingers vision-less than 6/60 but
This list may also be helpful in interpreting infor- better than hand movements.
mation from an optometrist or ophthalmologist. chalazion meibomian cyst.
ciliary injection redness of the blood vessels on
accommodation focus for near, when the ciliary the eyeball near the margin of the cornea.
muscle contracts the suspensory fibres to the chemosis swelling due to collection of fluid be-
lens relax and the lens becomes rounder. neath the conjunctiva.
ALT argon laser trabeculoplasty, in which the colloid bodies palelesions within the retina, usu-
argon laser is used to make several small holes ally a sign of ageing.
in the aqueous drainage area to assist in reduc- CSG chronic simple glaucoma.
ing eye pressure. cupping abnormal enlargement of the central
amaurosis blindness. cup in the optic nerve head.
amaurosis fugax 'fleeting blindness', usually de- cycloplegic agent that dilates the pupil and
scribing transient marked loss of vision in one paralyses accommodation.
eye. dacryoadenitis inflammation (usually infective)
amblyopia sometimes called 'lazy eye', meaning of the tear gland.
an eye that has developed reduced vision as a dacryocystitis inflammation (usually infective)
consequence of a fault in early life, e.g. error in of the tear sac.
focus or squint. In old literature, may mean dendritic 'branch-like', usually referring to the
poor vision from any cause. characteristic pattern of herpes simplex corneal
angle the zone in the recess of the front chamber ulceration.
where aqueous drains. dioptre a measure of focusing strength of a lens.
anisocoria inequality of pupil size. diplopia double vision, which may be binocular
anterior chamber the front cavity between the (only with both eyes open) or monocular (per-
cornea and lens/iris. sisting with one eye open).
anterior uveitis inflammation within the front disc optic nerve head visible with the
chamber, synonymous with iritis. ophthalmoscope.
aphakia absence of the lens, usually surgical. driisen see colloid bodies.
aqueous watery fluid filling the front chamber. ectropion eyelid margin pulled away from the
ARMD age-related macular degeneration. eyeball.
astigmatism uneven focus, usually due to an ir- endophthalmitis inflammation (usually infec-
regular cornea. tion) of the internal eye.
blepharitis inflammation of the eyelid margin. entropion eyelid margin turned in towards the
BR blind register. eyeball.
bulbar of the eyeball. enucleation removal of the eyeball.
buphthalmos a form of glaucoma found in child- epiphora overflowing tears, watering of the
hood when the eye tends to enlarge. eye.

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 Glossary 209
erosion spontaneous renewal of a site of previous KP keratic precipitatesof white cells on the interi-
abrasion or ulceration, usually on the cornea. or surface of the cornea, as in iritis.
exophthalmos see proptosis. laser acronym of light amplificationby the stimu-
exudate pale shiny retinal lesions related to leak- lated emission of radiation.
age of plasma and characteristic especially of LASIK laser-assisted in sifu keratomileusis. A
diabetic retinopathy in which they may be technique to refashion the corneal contour for
arranged in a circular ('circinate') pattern. refractive purposes.
follicle pale lump made up of a collection of limbus zone where the cornea meets the conjunc-
white cells in the conjunctiva. tiva, which coincides with the edge of visible
fornix recess of conjunctiva between the lid and iris.
the upper and lower eyeball. loupe small magnifying aid.
fovea small point of fixation and maximum sen- macula usually refers to the area of retina
sitivity in the retina, at the centre of the macula. bounded by the major branch vessels temporal
fundus interior of the back chamber visible with to the optic nerve head. The fovea is at its centre.
the ophthalmoscope. Sometimes the term is used to refer to the fovea
glaucomas group of conditions in which eye itself.
pressure damages nerve fibres within the optic media clear parts of the eye- tears, cornea, aque-
nerve head. ous, lens, vitreous.
globe eyeball. metamorphopsia distortion of central vision,
guttae or gutt. Latin and its shorthand for drops. particularly if straight lines look bent.
high myopia short-sightedness greater than miosis constriction of the pupil.
about 10 dioptres. monocular one eye.
HMS hand movements vision-worse than mydriasis dilatation of the pupil.
counting fingers but better than perception of mydriatic drug that dilates the pupil.
light. myopia short-sightedness or near-sightedness,
homonymous meaning 'same side', refers to the being able to see more clearly when close (see
visual field defect characteristic of a disorder high myopia).
behind the optic chiasm. NPL no perception of light vision. A completely
hordeolum stye or inflammation of a lash follicle. blind eye, unable to detect a bright light and
hypermetropia far-sightedness or long- so worse than 'PL'. There are relatively few
sightedness, being able to see more clearly at causes.
distance. nystagmus repetitive to-and-fro movements of
hyphaema blood in the front chamber which has the eye in a variety of patterns.
sedimented at the bottom. occulenta or occ. Latin and its shorthand for
hypopyon white cells in the front chamber which ointment.
have sedimented at the bottom. OD oculus dexter meaning the right eye (RE).
injection refers to reddening of the eye surface. optometrist relatively new title for the profes-
interpalpebral between the eyelids when the eye sional who was formerly titled an ophthalmic
is open. optician.
IOFB intraocular foreign body. 0 s oculus sinister meaning the left eye (LE).
IOL intraocular lens implant. oscillopsia sensation that stationary objects are
IOP intraocular pressure. moving.
iridotomy making a hole in the iris, either surgi- orbit bony cone behind the eyeball.
cally or by laser. pannus scarring containing blood vessels at the
keratitis inflammation of the cornea. periphery of the cornea.
kerato referring to the cornea. papillary pattern of red lumps suggesting in-
keratoplasty corneal graft or refashioning the flammation around small blood vessels in the
shape of thecornea,usually foropticalpurposes. conjunctiva.
210 Glossary

PC posterior capsule of the lens. Sometimes post- scotoma area of loss of vision within the seeing
operative thickening is treated using the argon field, e.g. the blind spot.
laser. Snellen chart standard chart for measuring dis-
phaco referring to the lens. tance vision.
'phaco' phaco-emulsification, technique for re- STFB subtarsal foreign body.
moving cataract through a small incision. strabismus squint.
PL perception of light vision. Worse than hand tarsal referring to the eyelid.
movements but better than no perception of tarsorrhaphy stitching together the eyelids,
light. either partially or completely.
posterior chamber back cavity between the lens tonometry measurement of internal eye pressure
and retina. If the lens has been removed, this by externally applied pressure.
means behind the iris. trabeculectomy operation for glaucoma, to im-
presbyopia loss of focusing ability for near due to prove drainage of aqueous and lower eye
normal ageing of the lens. pressure.
proptosis protrusion of the eyeball, usually be- trichiasis turning in of eyelashes so that they
cause of pressure behind it in the orbit. damage the eye surface.
PS posterior synechiae, adhesions between the uvea literally 'a grape', refers to pigmented tis-
iris and lens that occur in iritis. sues, including the iris, ciliary body and
pseudophakia presence of an artificial lens choroid, external to the retina.
implant. uveitis inflammation of any part of the uvea. An-
PSR partially sighted register. terior, of the iris and ciliary body (as in iritis
ptosis drooping of the upper eyelid. or iridocyclitis). Posterior, of the choroid
punctate in a pattern of small dots. (choroiditis). Pan, of all parts.
PVD posterior vitreous detachment, when the VA visual acuity. Sometimes recorded separately
vitreous shrinks and pulls away from the retina. as RVA (right visual acuity) and LVA (left visual
RAPD relative afferent pupil defect in which the acuity), which may be recorded as just RV and
pupil reacts to bright light in an asymmetrical LV. If 'UA also appears, this refers to 'unaided'
way. Implies a disorder of the eye or optic nerve vision, without glasses.
on one side. visual acuity sharpness of vision.
red reflex illumination of the pupil by light re- vitrectomy removal of the vitreous, replacing
flected from the retina. with clear fluid.
refraction bending of light rays. Also used for the vitreous 'glass-like' jelly filling the back chamber
testing of focusing ability. behind the lens.
retrobulbar behind the eyeball. vitreous haemorrhage bleeding into the vitreous
rubeosis formation of abnormal new blood ves- jelly, which originates from the retina.
sels on the iris or in the aqueous drainage angle.
May lead to glaucoma.