Amaurosis fugax  monocular blurring of vision developing completely by 30 seconds and lasting form 10minutes to 2 hours . It may be associated with visible emboli in the retinal vessels.

Amblyopia a unilateral or bilateral reduction of best-corrected central visual acuity in the absence of a visible organic  lesion corresponding to the degree of visual loss.

Anisocoria a difference in size between the two pupils.

Anisometropia  a difference in refractive error between the two eyes ( e.g..,one eye may be farsighted and one nearsighted , one eye may be relatively normal and the other very nearsighted).

Anterior  chamber   the space in the eye bordered anteriorly by the cornea and posteriorly by the iris and the pupil.

Applanation tonometer an instrument that measures intraocular pressure.

Astigmatism the refraction power of the eye is not the same in all meridians (eg.,more hyperopic vertically than horizontally).

Bulbar conjunctiva a freely movable tissue which forms the most superficial covering of the globe from the limbus to the fornices.

Buphthalmos distention of the globe in response to  elevated intraocular pressure ;seen in  patient with congenital glaucoma.

Chemosis edema of the conjunctiva.

Coloboma congenital absence of  any eye structure.

Conjunctivitis  inflammation of the conjunctiva.

Cotton-wool spot a superficial retinal infarction appearing as  a fluffy white lesion, somtimes obscuring reitinal vessels.

Crowding phenomenon  individual letteres can be read better than a whole line; most commonly seen in amblyopic patients.

Cycloplegic  anything that causes paralysis of the  ciliary muscle and therfore paralysis of accommodation.

Descemet's membrane an inner (posterior) corneal layer.

Diplopia  double vision.

Ectopia lentis  dislcoted lens.

Ectropion iridis ( ectropion uveae) eversion of the iris at the pupillary rim such that  the pigmented posterior aspect of the iris is visuaized.

Enophthalmos a measurable depression of the  globe within the bony orbit.

Enucleation  removal of the eye.

Episcleritis inflammation of the  external sufrace of the scleara(beneath the bulbar conjunctiva).

Esophoria  the eyes are aligned during binocular vision,but have a latent tendency to cross(e.g.,while not focusing).

Esotropia   the eyes are aligned during binocular vision,but have a latent tendency to turn away from one another.

Exenteration removal of the eye and orbital contents.

Exophoria  ocular misalignment in which the nonfixating eye is turned outward(''wall-eyed'').

Exophthalmos  a measurable protrusion of the  globe from the bony orbit.

Exoptropia  ocular misalignment in which the nonfixating eye is turned outward(''wall-eyed'').

Flare increased protein in the a nterior-champer fluid, permitting visualization of the slit-lamp beam.

Floaters visual perception of dots or spots which may seem to ''swim'' of shift location when the position  of gaze is shifted.

Fluorescein angiography  a diagnostic  test utilizing intravenously injected fluorescein to  highlight vascular abnormalities in the eye , most commonly in the fundus.

Fovea  an area of the  retina corresponding to central vision,approximatly 1.5 mm in diameter, located temporal and slightly inferior to the center of the  optic disc.

Foveola  the center of  the fovea,0.5mm in diameter.

Ghost vessels  corneal stromal  blood vessels containing no blood.

Gonioscopy   examination of the anterior-champer angle structures of the eye, including the trabecular meschwork.

Guttata(corneal) dropletlike excerscences on the posterior surface of Descmet's membrane.

Hard exudates deep retinal lipid , often glistening yellow in apperance.

Heterochromia adifference in coloration , especially between the two irides in a given patient.

Hyperopia  (farsightedness) a condition in which the eye is too short for the refractive power too weak to bring  objects at distance of  near into clear focus (without the use of accomodation).

Hyphema  blood in the anterior chamber; when layering or clotting of the blood is present , the term hyphema is used; when only suspended red blood cells are present, the term microhyphema is employed.

Hypopyon  layering of white blood cells inferiorly in the anterior chamber.

Hypotony  abnormally low intraocuar  pressure , usually below 6 mmhg.

Indirect ophthalmoscopy the use of a relatively large lens located between the  patient and the obserever, in combination with a light source, to view the fundus.

Intraretinal microvascular abnormalities dialated, often telangiectatic , retinal capillaries that act as shunts between arterioles and venules.

Iritis ( anterior uveitis, iridocyclitis,cyclitis inflammation of the iris , ciliary body, or both.

Keratic precipitates  cellular aggregates that form on the corneal endothlium, often inferiorly in a base- down triangular pattern.

Krukenberg's spindle  a narrow , vertically oriented band of ligament located along the central corneal endothelium.

Leukocoria a grossly visible white pupil.

Macula an area 3-4 disc diamerets in  size centered at the posterior part of the retiana

Meibomianitis inflamed, inspissated oil glands along the eye lid margins, reflecting inflammation of the meibomian glands.

Microphthalmia  a congenital small, disorganized eye.

Miosis  constriction of the pupil.

Mydriasis dilatation of the pupil.

Myopia ( nearsightedness) a condition in which the eye is too long or the refractive power too great to bring objects at a distance clearly into focus.

Nanophthalmos  a congenitally small but otherwise normal eye.

Neovascularization growth of abnormal new blood vessels.

Nysatagmus  rhythmic oscillations of tremors of the eyes that occur independently for nomral movements.

Ophthamoplegia paralysis of the extraocular muscles.

Optic neuritis inflammation of the optic nerve.

Ora serrata the most peripheral portion of the retina.

Oscillopsia   the perception that the environment is moving back and forth.

Palpebral conjunctiva  the most superficial covering of the underside of the eyelids from the fornices to the eyelid margins.

Papilledema optic-disc swelling produced by increased intracranial pressure.

Peripapillary surrounding the optic disc.

Peripheral anterior synechiae adhesions between the peripheral iris and anterior-chamber angle or peripheral cornea.

Peripheral iridectomy removal of a portion of the peripheral iris.

Phoria  the eyes remain well  aligned under conditions of normal binocular vision but have a latent tendency to becone misaligned ( e.g., when not focusing).

Photophobia  ocular pain on exposure to light.

Photopsia  a sensation of instantaneous flashes of light; most commonly indicative retinal traction.

Polycoria presence of many openings in the iris.

Posterior synechiae adhesions between the iris and the anterior lens capsule,most commonly at the pupillary borders.

Proptosis protrusion of the globe from the bony orbit.

Psudohypopyon a layered collection of non inflammatory cells in the anterior chamber, usually associated with neoplastilc conditions.

Ptosis (blepharoptosis) dropping of the upper eyelid.

Puncutm the opening of the tear drainage system in the eyelid margin.

Pupillary block aqueous humor is prevented from flowing from the posterior chmaber into the anterior chamber between the  iris and lens.

Radial Keratotomy a surgical techinque in which radial incisions are made into the superficial cornea in an effort to change the corneal topograghy and therefore the  patinets refrtactive error.

Relative afferent pupillary defect a decreased pupillary constriction to light in one eye as compared with the other eye, using the swinging-flashlight test.

Retinitis inflammation of the retina.

Retinoscopy a techinque by which the reflexs from a streak of light shined on the retina is used to estimate the refractive error of the eye.

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment detachment of the retina as a result ot a retinal break(hole).

Scleral depression a techinque by which  indentation of the peripheral retina is combined with indirect ophthalmoscopy  in order to view the peripheral retina.

Scleritis inflammation of the sclera.

Scotoma an area of loss of sensitivity in the visual field.

Staphyloma an outpouching of the sclera that involved in the uvea.

Srtabismus ocular misalignment.

Tarsorraphy a surgical technique by which the margins of the upper  and lower eyelids of an eye are joined together, eihter partially or completely.

Trabeculectomy a surgical teqhnique used to improve aqueous out flow in glaucoma patient.

Tropia ocular misalignment.

Vitiritis inflammation of the vitreous.

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R Douglas and Benjamin, The Wills Eye Manual   469-472,.1994.