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Glossary of Terms

Aberration: Distortions, related to astigmatism , that cause a disturbance in the light the eye receives making it so a person can't focus as well.

Ablation: The removal of abnormal growth. In eye surgery usually done using a laser.

Accommodation: Ability of the eye to change its focus between distant objects and near objects.

Acuity: Sharpness, acuteness, or keenness of vision.

Acute: Sudden occurrance.

Adnexa: parts added, attached, or adjunct to another or others, as the eyelids and tear glands in relation to the eyeball

Amblyopia: Known as "lazy eye" is associated with strabismus. Reduced visual acuity that is not correctable with glasses.

Angle: Drainage area of the eye formed between the cornea and the iris.

Anisometropia: A condition in which the refractive power of one eye differs from that of the other.
Anterior chamber: Space between the cornea and the crystalline lens , which contains aqueous humor .

Anterior ocular segment: Anterior part of the eye.

Aphakia: Lack of the lens.

Aqueous humor: Watery fluid filling the space between cornea and lens that maintains eye pressure.

ARMD: age related macular degeneration: Damage to the photoreceptors in the macula region.

Asthenopia: Fatigued eyes

Astigmatic Keratotomy (AK): Treatment for astigmatism by flattening the cornea.

Astigmatism: This condition occurs when the cornea has defects and irregularities.

BCVA: Best corrected visual acuity.

Blepharitis: Granulated eyelids, is a chronic inflammation and/or infection of the eyelid.

Caruncle: Sebaceous glands located in the corner of the eye.

Cataract surgery: Removal of a cataract , replacing it with an intraocular lens implant.

Cataract: Crystalline lens that has become partially or completely opaque.

Choroid: A highly vascular membrane of the eye that lies between the sclera and the retina, functioning to nourish the retina and absorb scattered light.

Ciliary body: Part of the eye that connects the choroid membrane to the iris.It produces aqueous fluid that maintains the eye pressure.

Closed angle glaucoma: The acute onset of Glaucoma conditions.

Cone Cells: One of the two types of light-sensitive cells in the retina of the eye.

Conjunctiva: Mucous membrane lining the inner surface of the eyelids and the front part of the sclera, which keeps the eye lubricated.

Conjunctivitis: Inflammation or irritation of the conjunctiva .

Convergence: Turning of the eyes inwards so that they are both focusing on a near object.

Cornea: The transparent convex anterior portion of the outer fibrous coat of the eyeball that covers the iris and the pupil and is continuous with the sclera.

Corneal curvature: Shape of the front of the eye.

Crystalline lens: A doubly convex, transparent body in the eye, situated behind the iris, that focuses incident light on the retina.

Cylinder: The degree of astigmatism present in the cornea.

Diabetes mellitus: a metabolic disorder, resulting in excessive amounts of glucose in the blood leading to such complications as infections and gangrene or blindness.

Diabetic Retinopathy: A deterioration of retinal blood vessels in diabetic patients that can lead to vision loss.

Dilated, dilation: Enlargement of the pupil.

Diopter: Unit of measure of the refractive power of an optical lens.

Diplopia: Known as double vision.

Emmetropia: 20/20 vision. See Snellen Eye Chart.

Esophoria: A tendency of the eyes to deviate inward.

Exotropia: One eye looks straight ahead and one turns outward.

Field of vision: Entire area which can be seen without shifting the gaze.

Flashes: Light streaks and dark specks caused by the vitreous traction on the retina.

Floaters: Dark spots caused solid vitreous material and blood.

Fluorescein angiography: A diagnostic test by which the veins deep inside the eye are examined.

Fovea: The point where vision is most acute, located at the center of the macula.

Fundus: The concave interior of the eye, consisting of the retina, choroid, sclera, optic disc and blood vessels, seen by means of the ophthalmoscope.

Glaucoma: An ocular disease characterized by increased of the pressure inside the eye. Untreated can lead to blindness.

Hyperopia: Known as farsightednesss, is the ability to see distant objects clearly, but unable to see near object as clearly.

Hypoxia: Deficient supply of oxygen to a tissue.

Intraocular lens implant (IOL): Permanent lens surgically inserted inside the eye to replace the crystalline lens following cataract surgery.

Intraocular pressure (IOP): The pressure within the eye that gives it a round firm shape and is caused by the aqueous humor.

Iridotomy: Treatment for closed-angle glaucoma.

Iris: The colored part of the eye. The iris is elastic pigmented tissue in front of the lens that regulates the amount of light that enters the eye.

Keratectomy: Surgical removal of cornea l tissue.

Keratitis: Inflammation of the cornea

Keratoplasty: Surgical reshaping of the cornea .

Lacrimal apparatus: Part of the eye that produces tears.

LASIK: Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomilieusis is a refractive procedure.

Legally blind: 20/200 vision and greater.

Lens: A transparent, biconvex body of the eye between the iris and the vitreous humor that focuses light rays entering through the pupil to form an image on the retina.

Limbus: A transparent, biconvex body of the eye between the iris and the vitreous humor that focuses light rays entering through the pupil to form an image on the retina.

Macula: An irregularly oval, yellow-pigmented area on the central retina, containing color-sensitive rods and the central point of sharpest vision.

Macular degeneration: Disease of the macula, which results in the loss of central vision.

Macular edema: Collection of fluid in and under the macula.

Miosis: Pupillary constriction.

Mydriasis: Pupillary dilation.

Myopia: Known as nearsightedness.

Neovascularization: The formation of new blood vessels in inappropriate places.

Axons: Extensions of photoreceptors that form the nerve bundle that is called the optic nerve.

Ocular herpes: A recurrent viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus.

Open angle glaucoma: The gradual onset of Glaucoma conditions.

Ophthalmologist: A medical doctor who specializes in eye care, including surgery

Optic disc: The point where the optic nerve enters the retina

Optic nerve: either one of the second pair of cranial nerves, consisting of sensory fibers that conduct impulses from the retina to the brain.

Optometrist: Eye care professional, optometric doctor, who provides non-surgical visual care.

Orbit: The boney socket containing the eye, fat, extraocular muscles, nerves and blood vessels.

Orthokeratology (OK): A technique for correcting errors in vision by changing the shape of the cornea with the temporary use of progressively flatter hard contact lenses.

Orthoptics: a method of exercising the eye and its muscles in order to cure strabismus or improve vision.

Pachymetry: Examination that measures corneal thickness.

Papilledema: Edema of the optic disk.

Phacoemulsification cataract surgery: Procedure removing a cataract lens by cutting it into liquefied remains.

Photophobia: Sensitivity to light.

Photoreceptors: The microscopic light-sensitive cells that are located in the retina called rods and cones.

Pupil: The black expanding and contracting opening in the iris of the eye, through which light passes to the retina.

Pupillary response: Constriction and dilation of the pupil caused by a stimulus.

Refraction: Test to ascertain the refractive power of the eye.

Retina: The innermost coat of the posterior part of the eye that receives the image produced by the lens and contains the rods and cones that are sensitive to light.

Retinal Detachment: Condition wherein retina tears away from the choroid membrane. Unless surgery is performed a loss of vision will occur.

RK: Abbreviation for " radial keratotomy ", an older procedure used to correct mild to moderate myopia, but with the advent LASIK is no longer used.

Rod Cells: One of the two types of light-sensitive cells in the retina of the eye.

Sclera: The white part of the eye, a tough covering with which the cornea forms the external protective coat of the eye.

Scotoma: An area of diminished vision within the visual field

Slit-Lamp: An ophthalmic instrument producing a slender beam of light for illuminating the structures of the eye.

Snellen eye chart: The prototypical chart used to test visual acuity.

Stereoscopic vision: Ability to perceive three-dimension.

Strabismus: Binocular does not occur because the muscles of the eye are misaligned.

Stroma: Middle, thickest layer of tissue in the cornea .

Tonometry: A test used for glaucoma that measures intraocular pressure.

Trabeculoplasty: A procedure that remodels the trabecular meshwork in order to increase drainage of aqueous and lower the pressure in eye.

20/20 vision: To have 20/20 vision means that you can see what the majority of people can see when you stand 20 feet away from the Snellen eye chart.

UCVA: Uncorrected visual acuity.

Uveal tract: A group of eye structures in the middle layers of the eye, which include the choroid , ciliary body and iris .

Visual acuity: The ability to distinguish details and shapes.

Visual cortex: That part of the brain responsible for vision.

Visual field: Area visible to an eye in a given position of gaze.

Vitrectomy: The surgical removal of diseased vitreous humor.

Vitreous Humor: A jelly-like, colorless, transparent substance that occupies the largest chamber of the eye between the lens and the retina.

Wet AMD: abnormal blood vessels behind the retina begin to under the macula, causing them to leak. This damages the macula.

YAG laser surgery: NeoDymium-Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet laser is used to treat secondary cataracts that occur after the removal a primary eye procedure.

 

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