Ophthalmology vocabulary

Question 1

accommodation (Acc)

Answer 1

ability of the eye to adjust to variations in distance

Question 2

achromatopsia

a- = without
chrom/o = color

Answer 2

profound inability to see in color from birth; also called color blindness

Question 3

amblyopia

ambyl/o = dim
-opia = vision

Answer 3

loss of vision not due to any disease; not correctable with glasses; persons with amblyopia wear a patch over one eye to force the affected eye to work; commonly called lazy eye

Question 4

astigmatism (Astigm)

Answer 4

uneven bending of light rays caused by irregular curvature of the cornea; image is fuzzy; correct with cylindrical lenses

Question 5

cataract

Answer 5

lens becomes cloudy or opaque; results in whole vision field becoming blurry; treatment is usually surgical removal of the cataract and replacement of the lens with an artificial lens

Question 6

color vision tests

Answer 6

use of multicolored charts to determine the ability of a patient to recognize color

Question 7

corneal abrasion

corne/o = cornea
-al pertaining to

Answer 7

scraping injury of the outer layer of the cornea

Question 8

cryoextraction

cry/o = cold

Answer 8

procedure to remove the lens with a cataract using an extremely cold probe

Question 9

diabetic retinopathy

retin/o = retina
-pathy = disease

Answer 9

development of small hemorrhages and edema in the retina as a result of diabetes mellitus; dark spots appear in the visual field; laser surgery may be necessary for treatment

Question 10

fluorescein

Answer 10

bright green fluorescent dye dropped onto the surface of the eyeball to highlight corneal abrasions

Question 11

fluorescein angiography

angi/o = vessel
-graphy = process of recording

Answer 11

procedure using intravenous fluorescein to examine the movement of blood through the blood vessels of the eye

Question 12

glaucoma

Answer 12

condition resulting from an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP), which if untreated, can result in atrophy of the optic nerve and blindness; the patient notices that vision becomes blurry around the edges; treated with medication and surgery

Question 13

hyperopia

hyper- = excessive
-opia = vision

Answer 13

visual condition in which a person can see things in the distance but has trouble reading material at close range; also known as farsightedness; corrected with converging or biconvex lens

Question 14

intraocular lens (IOL) implant

intra- = within
ocul/o = eye
-ar = pertaining to

Answer 14

replacing a defective natural lens with an artificial lens following cataract extraction

Question 15

laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK)

kerat/o = cornea

Answer 15

correction of myopia using laser surgery to remove minute slices of corneal tissue

Question 16

laser retinal photocoagulation

retin/o = retina
-al = pertaining to
phot/o = light

Answer 16

using a laser to make pinpoint scars to stabilize a detached or torn retina

Question 17

macular degeneration

Answer 17

deterioration of the macula lutea of the retina; the patient notices a loss of vision in the center of the visual field

Question 18

myopia (MY)

-opia = vision

Answer 18

visual condition in which a person can see things at close range, but distance vision is blurred; also known as nearsightedness; corrected with diverging or biconcave lens

Question 19

nyctalopia

-opia = vision

Answer 19

poor vision at night or in dim light; commonly called night blindness

Question 20

nystagmus

Answer 20

jerky-appearing involuntary eye movements

Question 21

optician

opt/o = vision
-ician = specialist

Answer 21

healthcare professional training to make corrective lenses and fit eyeglasses and contact lenses

Question 22

phacoemulsification

phac/o = lens

Answer 22

use of high-frequency sound waves to break up a cataract, which is then removed by suction with a needle

Question 23

photophobia

phot/o = light
-phobia = fear

Answer 23

excessive sensitivity to light leading to avoidance; not psychological fear of light

Question 24

photorefractive keratectomy (PRK)

photo/o = light
kerat/o = cornea
-ectomy = surgical removal

Answer 24

use of a laser to reshape the cornea to improve visual acuity

Question 25

radial keratotomy (RK)

kerat/o = cornea
-otomy = cutting into

Answer 25

surgery with spoke-like incisions in the cornea to flatten it; done to correct nearsightedness

Question 26

refractive error

Answer 26

defect in the ability of the eye to bend light rays to focus an image properly of the fovea centralis (refraction); occurs in myopia and hyperopia

Question 27

retinal detachment

retin/o = retina
-al = pertaining to

Answer 27

occurs when the retina becomes separated from the choroid layer; this separation seriously damages blood vessels and nerves, resulting blindness

Question 28

slit lamp microscope

micro- = small
-scope = instrument for viewing

Answer 28

instrument used in ophthalmology for examining the conjunctiva, cornea, iris, and lens; consists of a microscope combined with a light source that can be narrowed into a slit

Question 29

Snellen chart

Answer 29

chart used for testing visual acuity; contains letters of varying sizes and is shown from a distance of 20 feet; the average person who can read at this distance is said to have 20/20 vision

Question 30

strabismus

Answer 30

weakness of the external eye muscle; results in eyes looking in different directions at the same time; can be corrected with glasses, eye exercises, and/or surgery; commonly called cross-eyed if the eye is turned toward the nose

Question 31

strabotomy

-otomy = cutting into

Answer 31

incision into eye muscles to correct strabismus

Question 32

stye

Answer 32

small purulent infection of a sebaceous gland of the eyelid; treated with hot compresses or surgical incision and drainage; also called hordeolum

Question 33

visual acuity test (VA)

Answer 33

measurement of the sharpness of a patient’s vision; usually a Snellen chart is used for this test and the patient identifies letters from a distance of 20 feet; the term 20/20 vision means a person is able to see at 20 feet what a person with normal vision would expect to see at 20 feet; terms such as 20/200 would indicate a person’s degree of myopia, that is, s/he must be 20 feet away from an object to see it when a person with normal vision could see the object from 200 feet away