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.
Eye examination terms
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
|
PHNI
|
Pinhole No Improvement
|
see Pinhole occluder
|
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 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
|
|
Clinical conditions terms
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
|
|
Contact lens terms
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
|
|
Pharmacy and drug terms
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
|
|
Examination types and enhanced care schemes
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
|
|
External links