Ophthalmic terminology Flashcards
Myopia
Short-sightedness
Scotoma
Area of partial alteration in field of vision (can be partially diminished or entirely degenerated) which is surrounded by a field of normal or preserved field of vision.
Presbyopia
Progressive, gradually diminished ability to focus on nearby objects (age-related failure of accommodation).
Does not affect distance vision and can be corrected with glasses (a convex lens - as opposed to myopia, which requires a concave lens. This is because presbyopia focuses the image behind the retina, as in hypermetropia).
Amblyopia
Lazy eye. Decreased vision originating in childhood where pathway from eye to brain does not develop properly. Strabismus is most common cause, but amblyopia can occur without strabismus and vice versa.
Strabismus
Squint; heterotropia.
Eyes are not properly aligned with each other. Can lead to amblyopia (lazy eye, loss of vision).
Subclassifications:
Eg. Esotropia: one or both eyes turn inwards.
Eg. Exotropia: one or both eyes turn outwards.
Nystagmus
Involuntary, rapid and repetitive eye movements.
Subclassifications of horizontal, vertical, and rotary/circular nystagmus.
Exophthalmos
Exophthalmia; proptosis.
Abnormal protrusion of the eyeball.
Proptosis.
Exophthalmia; exophthalmos.
Abnormal protrusion of the eyeball.
Enophthalmos
Sunken eyeball.
Opposite of exophthalmos/proptosis.
Diplopia
Double vision
Hyperopia
Far sightedness.
Aka hypermetropia.
Endophthalmitis.
Intraocular infection.
Phthisis
A progressively wasting or consumptive condition;
Eg. Shrunken, non-functional (blind) eye following intraocular infection and structural disorganisation.
Miosis
Pupil contraction
Mydriasis
Pupil dilation
Hyperaemia
Red eye
Trichiasis
Abnormally positioned eyelashes which grow backwards and inwards.
Hordeolum
An acute focal infection of the eyelid (external hordeolum = stye; internal hordeolum = acute bacterial meibomian gland infection).
Ptosis
Droopy upper eyelid.
When severe, may interfere with vision.
May be unilateral or bilateral, may be asymmetrical.
Recall: levator muscle (CNIII) + sympathetic innervation of smooth muscle component = lifts upper lid; lids are closed by orbicularis oculi (CNVII).
ie. Facial nerve palsy does not cause a ptosis (third nerve palsy may).
Entropion
Eyelid turning inwards.
May cause watering, as eyelashes irritate the ocular surface.
Ectropion
Eyelid turning outwards.
May cause watering, as ectropion causes impairment of tear collection by eyelid puncta.
Chemosis
Swelling or oedema of the conjunctiva.
Xerophthalmia
Mucin (tear) deficiency.
A disease of vitamin A deficiency with severe corneal and retinal complications.
Epiphora
Inappropriate watering of the eye
Leukocoria
White pupil (pupillary reflex). Danger signal for retinoblastoma in infants. Could also be retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), among other things.
Leukocoria
White pupil (pupillary reflex). Danger signal for retinoblastoma in infants. Could also be retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), among other things.
Leukocoria
White pupil (pupillary reflex). Danger signal for retinoblastoma in infants. Could also be retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), among other things.
Chemosis
Conjunctival oedema
Keratitis
Corneal inflammation
Hypopyon
Collection of pus in the bottom of the anterior chamber of the eye (eg. In anterior uveitis - a subtype which is iritis).
Limbus
Border of the cornea and the sclera (ie. corneal limbus)
Pterygium
Benign overgrowth of conjunctiva.
Aka ‘surfer’s eye’.
Emmetropia
Normal refractive power of the eye (refractive power of cornea and axial length of the eye balance out).
An eye in the state of emmetropia requires no correction.
In emmetropia, light from a distant object is focused on the retina. As the object comes closer to the eye, the lens increases in power by altering its shape to become more convex. This process of accommodation is stimulated by parasympathetic fibres in the oculomotor nerve.
Aphakia
Absence or loss of the eye’s natural crystalline lens, as after cataract removal.
Nyctalopia
Night blindness
Enucleation
Surgical removal of the eye
Anisometropia
Asymmetrical refractive error (the refractive error differs significantly between the two eyes, eg. in amblyopia following strabismus).
Stereopsis
An advanced form of 3D sight
Cycloplegia
Paralysis of accommodation
Anisocoria
Small amount of asymmetry between the pupils (which is normal).
Hyphaema
Bleeding into the anterior chamber
Ametropia
A refractive error resulting from an imbalance of the optical components of the eye.
Lagophthalmos
Inability to close the eye
