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Krembil Neuroscience Centre (KNC)
Donald K. Johson Eye Centre (DKJ) :
A to Z Glossary
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This is not an exhaustive list, but includes some of the terminology commonly used in the assessment and treatment of eye conditions and diseases. To view this glossary simply click on the corresponding letter below:
(Source: A Patient’s Guide To Retinal Diseases)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD): A condition characterised by degenerative changes of the macula secondary to ageing.
Anaesthesia: Various forms of pain relief by use of medications to allow surgery to proceed.
Anterior chamber: The space between the cornea and the iris.
Antibiotics: Drugs for eliminating bacterial infections
Cataract: A condition whereby the lens in the eye becomes less transparent.
Choroid: The vascular layer between the sclera and retina
Choroidal Neovascular Membranes: Abnormal vascular complex from the choroid layer extending beneath the retina causing a decrease in vision due to leakage, bleeding and scarring.
Cornea: The transparent front part of the eye which allows light to enter.
Cryopexy: A procedure using a cryoprobe ( surgical tool ) which freezes through the wall of the eyeball to create a scar.
Diabetes mellitus: A condition of abnormal sugar control due to insulin deficiency
Diabetic retinopathy: Disease of the retina due to diabetes mellitus
Drusen: Localised collection of degenerative materials between the retina and the choroid
Fovea: The central, most important part of the macula for central vision.
Fluorescein angiogram(FFA): A procedure where a dye is injected into the veins of the arm. It will emit green light during the test and the blood vessels of the retina can be photographed and studied.
Glaucoma: A condition where the eye pressure ( intraocular pressure) is high, resulting in damage to the optic nerve
Hyperopia: Long-sightedness where the eyeball is shorter than the focal length of the eye – the image falls behind the retina.
Hypertension: High blood pressure
Indocyanine: Green angiogram (ICG): A procedure where indocyanine green dye is injected into the veins of the arm and special cameras are used to record the images of the blood vessels of the retina and choroid.
Iris: The structure of the eye behind the cornea which controls the amount of light entry.
Ischaemia: Lack of oxygen supply
Intravenous: Injection via the veins
Laser: A very strong beam of light with high energy directed in a single path.
Lattice Degeneration: A condition in which there is peripheral thinning of the retina and overlying vitreous changes.
Lincoff balloon: A device that allows the retinal detachment to be treated by a temporary balloon which is removed once the detachment is successfully treated.
Macroaneurysm: Abnormal dilatation of the blood vessels
Macula: The center part of the retina which is responsible for good vision.
Maculopathy: Diseases involving the macula
Microaneurysm: Minute dilatation of the blood vessels, usually in diabetic retinopathy
Myopia: Short-sightedness where the eyeball is longer than the focal length of the eye – the image falls in front of the retina.
Myopic degeneration: Degeneration of the retina due to high short-sightedness
Neuro-leptanalgesia: A form of anaesthesia where the patient is awake but very drowsy, allowing the surgeon to proceed with the surgery.
Ocular: Descriptive term for eye
Ophthalmologist: Eye specialist
Photocoagulation: A process of creating a burn by means of light energy
Photodynamic Therapy(PDT): A form of laser treatment for age-related macula degeneration, making use of a special dye.
Pneumatic retinopexy: The injection of a gas bubble into the eye to seal the retinal break, followed by laser or cryotherapy to form a scar around the retinal break.
Presbyobia: Difficulty with reading or near work due to “old-sightedness”/ ageing.
Prognosis: The final outcome of a condition
Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR): Scarring of the retina that complicates a retinal detachment
Prophylactic: Preventive
Retina: Photosensitive nerve layer of the eye receiving light stimuli and transmitting them to the brain to be interpreted as images.
Retinectomy: Cutting of the retina
Sclera: Outermost layer of the eye that is usually white in colour.
Scleral buckle: Surgery which creates an indentation of the eyeball and the retinal tear is brought closer to the eyewall (the sclera).
Scleral indentation: A procedure whereby pressure is applied on the eyeball to look at the peripheral retina.
Steroid: Drug for decreasing inflammation
Subfoveal: Beneath the fovea
Submacula: Beneath the macula
Subretinal fluid: Fluid beneath the retina and within the retinal detachment
Transpupillary Thermoplasty(TTT): A form of laser treatment of age-related macular degeneration
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor(VEGF): Substances produced by diseased tissues or rapidly growing tissues which play an important role in the formation of abnormal blood vessels and which also make blood vessels leak in certain situations.
Vitrectomy: Surgical procedure where vitreous is removed from the eyeball and other procedures such as laser treatment, cutting of scar tissue, removal of blood, performed at the same time during the operation.
Vitreous: The gel-like structure that occupies the space between the lens and the retina.
(Source: A Patient’s Guide To Retinal Diseases)
