Ophthalmic Terminology & Abbreviations

Ophthalmic terminology is built from Greek and Latin word parts. A root carries the core meaning (e.g., ophthalm/o = eye, ocul/o = eye, kerat/o = cornea, blephar/o = eyelid, dacry/o = tear, retin/o = retina, irid/o = iris, phak/o = lens, scler/o = sclera, conjunctiv/o = conjunctiva). Prefixes modify meaning (an- = without, hyper- = above/excessive, hypo- = below/deficient, presby- = aging, eso- = inward, exo- = outward). Suffixes describe a condition or procedure (-itis = inflammation, -ectomy = surgical removal, -plasty = surgical repair, -opia = vision condition, -plegia = paralysis, -ptosis = drooping/falling, -rrhaphy = suture, -tomy = incision). Combining these yields precise terms: blepharitis (eyelid inflammation), keratoconus (cone-shaped cornea), dacryocystitis (lacrimal sac inflammation), iridectomy (surgical removal of part of the iris), and phakectomy (lens removal).