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	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

• The College of Optometrists Members' Handbook (PDF)
• theOptom.com
• Optometry Acronyms and Abbreviations