Ophthalmic terminology

Question 0

Myopia

Answer 0

Short-sightedness

Question 1

Scotoma

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

Presbyopia

Answer 2

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).

Question 3

Amblyopia

Answer 3

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.

Question 4

Strabismus

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

Nystagmus

Answer 5

Involuntary, rapid and repetitive eye movements.

Subclassifications of horizontal, vertical, and rotary/circular nystagmus.

Question 6

Exophthalmos

Answer 6

Exophthalmia; proptosis.

Abnormal protrusion of the eyeball.

Question 7

Proptosis.

Answer 7

Exophthalmia; exophthalmos.

Abnormal protrusion of the eyeball.

Question 8

Enophthalmos

Answer 8

Sunken eyeball.

Opposite of exophthalmos/proptosis.

Question 9

Diplopia

Answer 9

Double vision

Question 10

Hyperopia

Answer 10

Far sightedness.

Aka hypermetropia.

Question 11

Endophthalmitis.

Answer 11

Intraocular infection.

Question 12

Phthisis

Answer 12

A progressively wasting or consumptive condition;

Eg. Shrunken, non-functional (blind) eye following intraocular infection and structural disorganisation.

Question 13

Miosis

Answer 13

Pupil contraction

Question 14

Mydriasis

Answer 14

Pupil dilation

Question 15

Hyperaemia

Answer 15

Red eye

Question 16

Trichiasis

Answer 16

Abnormally positioned eyelashes which grow backwards and inwards.

Question 17

Hordeolum

Answer 17

An acute focal infection of the eyelid (external hordeolum = stye; internal hordeolum = acute bacterial meibomian gland infection).

Question 18

Ptosis

Answer 18

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).

Question 19

Entropion

Answer 19

Eyelid turning inwards.

May cause watering, as eyelashes irritate the ocular surface.

Question 20

Ectropion

Answer 20

Eyelid turning outwards.

May cause watering, as ectropion causes impairment of tear collection by eyelid puncta.

Question 21

Chemosis

Answer 21

Swelling or oedema of the conjunctiva.

Question 22

Xerophthalmia

Answer 22

Mucin (tear) deficiency.

A disease of vitamin A deficiency with severe corneal and retinal complications.

Question 23

Epiphora

Answer 23

Inappropriate watering of the eye

Question 24

Leukocoria

Answer 24

White pupil (pupillary reflex). 
Danger signal for retinoblastoma in infants. Could also be retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), among other things.

Question 25

Leukocoria

Answer 25

White pupil (pupillary reflex). 
Danger signal for retinoblastoma in infants. Could also be retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), among other things.

Question 26

Leukocoria

Answer 26

White pupil (pupillary reflex). 
Danger signal for retinoblastoma in infants. Could also be retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), among other things.

Question 27

Chemosis

Answer 27

Conjunctival oedema

Question 28

Keratitis

Answer 28

Corneal inflammation

Question 29

Hypopyon

Answer 29

Collection of pus in the bottom of the anterior chamber of the eye (eg. In anterior uveitis - a subtype which is iritis).

Question 30

Limbus

Answer 30

Border of the cornea and the sclera (ie. corneal limbus)

Question 31

Pterygium

Answer 31

Benign overgrowth of conjunctiva.

Aka ‘surfer’s eye’.

Question 32

Emmetropia

Answer 32

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.

Question 33

Aphakia

Answer 33

Absence or loss of the eye’s natural crystalline lens, as after cataract removal.

Question 34

Nyctalopia

Answer 34

Night blindness

Question 35

Enucleation

Answer 35

Surgical removal of the eye

Question 36

Anisometropia

Answer 36

Asymmetrical refractive error (the refractive error differs significantly between the two eyes, eg. in amblyopia following strabismus).

Question 37

Stereopsis

Answer 37

An advanced form of 3D sight

Question 38

Cycloplegia

Answer 38

Paralysis of accommodation

Question 39

Anisocoria

Answer 39

Small amount of asymmetry between the pupils (which is normal).

Question 40

Hyphaema

Answer 40

Bleeding into the anterior chamber

Question 41

Ametropia

Answer 41

A refractive error resulting from an imbalance of the optical components of the eye.

Question 42

Lagophthalmos

Answer 42

Inability to close the eye