Certain abbreviations are current within the profession of optometry. They are used to denote clinical conditions, examination techniques and findings, and various forms of treatment.
| Abbreviation | Term | Description (notes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC | Anterior chamber | fluid-filled space between the iris and the endothelium | |
| AC 4/4 | Grade 4 anterior chamber angle | open angle between cornea and iris | |
| AC 3/4 | Grade 3 anterior chamber angle | ||
| AC 2/4 | Grade 2 anterior chamber angle | ||
| AC 1/4 | Grade 1 anterior chamber angle | ||
| AC 0/4 | Grade 0 anterior chamber angle | closed angle between cornea and iris | |
| AC/A | Accommodative convergence / Accommodation ratio | the portion of the range of convergence that occurs in response to accommodation | |
| Acc | Accommodation | process of changing optical power to maintain focus as distance changes | |
| Ad | Advised | ||
| Add | Addition | ||
| AIT | After-image transfer | ||
| ALT | Alternating | ||
| ALT ET/SOT | Alternating esotropia | ||
| ALT XT/XOT | Alternating exotropia | ||
| ARC | Anomalous retinal correspondence | ||
| A/V | Arteriole–venue ratio | ||
| BIO | Binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy | ||
| BSV | Binocular single vision | ||
| BV | Binocular vision | ||
| BVD | Back vertex distance | ||
| BVP | Back vertex power | ||
| CD | Centration distance | ||
| C/D | Cup–disc ratio | ||
| CF | Count fingers vision – state distance | ||
| c/o or c.o. | Complains of | ||
| CT | Cover test | ||
| c/u | Check up | ||
| CW | Close work | ||
| Δ | Prism dioptre | ||
| D | Dioptres | ||
| DC | Dioptres cylinder | ||
| DNA | Did not attend | ||
| DOB | Date of birth | ||
| DS | Dioptres sphere | ||
| DV | Distance vision | ||
| DVD | Dissociated vertical deviation | ||
| EF | Eccentric fixation | ||
| FB | Foreign body | ||
| FD | Fixation disparity | ||
| FF | Foveal fixation | ||
| FHG | Family history of glaucoma | ||
| FMH | Family medical history | ||
| FOH | Family ocular history | ||
| F/U | Follow up appointment | ||
| GH | General health | ||
| G(M)P | General (medical) practitioner | ||
| HA | Headaches | ||
| HARC | Harmonious abnormal retinal correspondence | ||
| HM | Hand motion vision – state distance | ||
| Hx | History | ||
| IOL | Intra-ocular lens | ||
| IOP | Intra-ocular pressure | ||
| ISNT | Inferior, Superior, Nasal, Temporal | rule used to assess optic disc appearance | |
| K | Keratometry | ||
| OS | oculus sinister (left eye) | ||
| LHyperT or LHT | Left hypertropia | ||
| LHypoT | Left hypotropia | ||
| LO | Lenticular opacity | ||
| L/R FD | L/R fixation disparity | ||
| L/R | L hyperphoria | ||
| Left ET | Left esotropia | ||
| LVA | Low vision aid | ||
| MDU | Mallett distance unit | ||
| MNU | Mallett near unit | ||
| M.Wing | Maddox Wing | ||
| MR | Maddox rod | ||
| NB: NAD | No abnormality detected | (is frequently used but is not recommended) | |
| NCT | Non-contact tonometer | ||
| ND | Neutral density filter | ||
| NLP | No light perception | No light perception is considered total visual impairment, or total blindness; see Visual impairment#Classification | |
| NPC | Near point of convergence or no previous correction | ||
| NRC | Normal retinal correspondence | ||
| NV | Near vision | ||
| NWT | Normal wearing time | ||
| o symptoms | Zero symptoms | ||
| ϕ | Horizontal orthophoria | ||
| θ | Vertical orthophoria | ||
| ⊕ | Horizontal and vertical orthophoria | ||
| OC's | Optical centres | ||
| Occ. | Occupation | ||
| OD | oculus dexter (right eye) | ||
| OH | Ocular history | ||
| OMB | Oculo motor balance | ||
| ONH | Optic nerve head | ||
| Oph | Ophthalmoscopy | ||
| OS | oculus sinister (left eye) | ||
| OU | oculus uterque (both eyes) | ||
| PD | Pupillary distance | ||
| PERRLA | Pupils equal, round, reactive to light and accommodation | ||
| PH | Pinhole | see Pinhole occluder and Visual_acuity#Legal_definitions | |
| PHNI | Pinhole No Improvement | see Pinhole occluder and Visual_acuity#Legal_definitions | |
| PHVA | Pinhole Visual Acuity | ||
| PL | Perception of light | ||
| POH / PrOH | Previous ocular history | ||
| PPA | Peri-papillary atrophy | ||
| Pt | Patient | ||
| RAPD | Relative afferent pupillary defect | ||
| OD | Right eye (oculus dexter) | ||
| Ret. | Retinoscopy | ||
| RHyperT | Right hypertropia | ||
| RHypoT or RHT | Right hypotropia | ||
| RNFL | Retinal nerve fibre layer | ||
| RPE | Retinal pigment epithelium | ||
| RSOT | Right esotropia | ||
| Rx | Prescription | ||
| SE | Spherical Equivalent | ||
| SLE | Slit lamp examination | ||
| SLM | Slit lamp microscope | ||
| EP | Esophoria | ||
| ET | Esotropia | ||
| Supp. | Suppression | ||
| V | Vision (unaided) | ||
| VA | Visual acuity | ||
| VA Dcc - VA Dsc | Visual acuity with Distant chart with correctors | Visual acuity with eye chart at Distant 20 feet (6 m) and with (cc: Latin cum correctore) correctors (spectacles); Dsc is without (sc: Latin sine correctore) correctors. See Visual_acuity#Legal_definitions | |
| VA Nsc - VA Ncc | Visual acuity with Near chart without correctors | Visual acuity with eye chart at Near 15.7 inches (400 mm) and without (sc: Latin sine correctore) correctors (spectacles); Ncc is with (cc: Latin cum correctore) correctors. See Visual_acuity#Legal_definitions | |
| VA OS | Left visual acuity | ||
| VA OD | Right visual acuity | ||
| VDU | Visual display unit | ||
| VF | Visual field | ||
| VPS | Variable prism stereoscope | ||
| WD | Working distance | ||
| X/12 | X months | ||
| X/52 | X weeks | ||
| X/7 | X days | ||
| XP | Exophoria | ||
| XT | Exotropia |
| Abbreviation | Term | Description (notes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AH | Asteroid hyalosis | ||
| AMD/ARMD | Age-related macular degeneration | ||
| ACG/CAG | Angle closure glaucoma | ||
| BDR | Background diabetic retinopathy | ||
| BP | Blood pressure | ||
| BRAO | Branch retinal artery occlusion | ||
| BRVO | Branch retinal vein occlusion | ||
| Cat | Cataract | ||
| CLAPC/CLIPC | Contact lens associated/induced papillary conjunctivitis | ||
| CLARE | Contact lens associated red eye | ||
| CLPU | Contact lens associated peripheral ulcer | ||
| CNS | Central nervous system | ||
| CNV | Choroidal neovascularization | ||
| CRAO | Central retinal artery occlusion | ||
| CRVO | Central retinal vein occlusion | ||
| CSR | Central serous retinopathy | ||
| CVA | Cerebrovascular accident | ||
| Dx | Diagnosis | ||
| dDx | Differential diagnosis | ||
| DR | Diabetic retinopathy | ||
| ERM | Epiretinal membrane | ||
| ESR | Erythrocyte sedimentation rate | ||
| FTMH | Full thickness macular hole | ||
| FMNS | Fusion maldevelopment nystagmus syndrome | (Latent nystagmus) | |
| Fx | Family history | ||
| GPC | Giant papillary conjunctivitis | ||
| Hx | Hospital or History | ||
| HES | Hospital eye service | ||
| IDDM | Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus | ||
| ILM | Internal limiting membrane | ||
| IRMA | Intra-retinal microvascular abnormality | ||
| KCS | Keratoconjunctivitis sicca | ||
| KP | Keratic precipitates | ||
| LASEK | Laser epithelial keratomileusis | ||
| LASIK | Laser in-situ keratomileusis | ||
| LTG | Low-tension glaucoma | ||
| MH | Macular hole | ||
| MI | Myocardial infarction | ||
| MS | Multiple sclerosis | ||
| NIDDM | Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus | ||
| NRR | Neuro-retinal rim | ||
| NS | Nuclear sclerosis | ||
| NTG | Normal tension glaucoma | ||
| PDR | Proliferative diabetic retinopathy | ||
| PDT | Photodynamic therapy | ||
| PK | Penetrating keratoplasy | ||
| POAG | Primary open-angle glaucoma | ||
| PPDR | Preproliferative diabetic retinopathy | ||
| PRA | Pan-retinal ablation | ||
| PRK | Photorefractive keratectomy | ||
| PRP | Pan-retinal photocoagulation | ||
| PSCC | Posterior sub-capsular cataract | ||
| PVD | Posterior vitreous detachment | ||
| PXF | Pseudoexfoliative syndrome | ||
| RD | Retinal detachment | ||
| RK | Radial keratotomy | ||
| RP | Retinitis pigmentosa | ||
| SEAL | Superior epithelial arcuate lesion | ||
| SLK | Superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis | ||
| SMH | Submacular hemorrhage | ||
| SPK | Superficial punctate keratitis | ||
| SPEE | Superficial punctate epithelial erosions | ||
| Sx | Symptoms | ||
| TIA | Transient ischaemic attack | ||
| T1 diab | Type 1 diabetes | ||
| T2 diab | Type 2 diabetes | ||
| Tx | Treatment | ||
| Vx | Vomiting |
| Abbreviation | Term | Description (notes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC | Base curve | ||
| BOZD | Back optic zone diameter | ||
| BOZR | Back optic zone radius | ||
| BVP | Back vertex power | ||
| CLAPC/CLIPC | Contact-lens-associated/induced papillary conjunctivitis | ||
| CLARE | Contact-lens-associated red eye | ||
| CLPU | Contact-lens-associated peripheral ulcer | ||
| Dk | Unit of permeability | ||
| DW | Daily wear | ||
| EW | Extended wear | ||
| FOZD | Front optic zone diameter | ||
| FVP | Front vertex power | ||
| HEMA | Hydroxyethyl methacrylate | ||
| HT | Handling tint | ||
| HVID | Horizontal visible iris diameter | ||
| K | Keratometry | ||
| MWT | Maximum wearing time | ||
| OS/OD | Overall size/overall diameter | ||
| OZD | Optic zone diameter | ||
| PMMA | Polymethyl methacrylate | ||
| RGP | Rigid-gas-permeable | ||
| SCL | Soft contact lens | ||
| SiH | Silicone hydrogel | ||
| SEAL | Superior epithelial arcuate lesion | ||
| SLK | Superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis | ||
| SPK | Superficial punctate keratitis | ||
| SPEE | Superficial punctate epithelial erosions | ||
| TBUT | Tear break-up time | ||
| Tc | Centre thickness | ||
| TD | Total diameter | ||
| Te | Edge thickness | ||
| TWT/WTT | Today wearing time | ||
| VPA | Vertical palpebral aperture | ||
| WT | Wearing time |
| Abbreviation | Term | Description (notes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.d. | As directed | ||
| bd/bid | Twice a day | ||
| gt | One drop | ||
| gtt | drops | ||
| GSL | General sales list | ||
| Gutt/g | Guttae (drops) | ||
| Meds | Medications | ||
| Nocte/QHS | At night | ||
| Occ | Ointment | ||
| od/QD | Once a day | ||
| otc | Over the counter (bought medication) | ||
| P | Pharmacy (drug) | ||
| POM | Prescription-only medicine | ||
| prn | When required | ||
| q | Every (e.g. q2h – every two hours) | ||
| qds/qid | Four times a day | ||
| Rx | Prescription | ||
| tds/tid | Three times a day | ||
| ung | Ointment |
| Abbreviation | Term | Description (notes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DFE | Dilated fundus examination | ||
| DFP | Digital fundus photograph(y) | ||
| DRS | Diabetic retinopathy screening | ||
| GIES | Glasgow Integrated Eyecare Scheme | ||
| PEARS | Primary Eyecare Acute Referral Scheme | ||
| WEHE | Welsh Eye Health Examination | ||
| WLVS | Welsh Low Vision Service |