# List of optometric abbreviations

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 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 | |

## 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |