Surgical Treatments
Glossary of Terms
Age-Related Macular Degeneration (pronounced mak-you-lar dee-jen-er-aa-shun) (AMD) : An eye condition in which the center of the retina (the macula) is slowly damaged, affecting central vision.
Amsler Grid: A chart of grid lines and a central dot used to find and check problems with central vision.
Anterior (pronounced an-tir-ee-er): Another word for the front of the eye.
Anterior chamber (pronounced an-tir-ee-er): The portion of the eye between the iris and the cornea that is filled with aqueous fluid.
Anterior uveitis (pronounced an-tir-ee-er you-vee-eye-tis): An inflammation of any part of the front of the uvea (the iris and the ciliary body).
Aqueous (pronounced aa-quee-us): A clear fluid made by the ciliary body located behind the iris. This fluid passes from behind the iris through the pupil, moves through the front chamber, and exits the eye through drainage mechanism called the trabecular meshwork.
Atrophy (pronounced ah-trof-ee): A thinning of the retina that may occur with aging.
Cataract (pronounced cat-ah-rakt): A clouding of the lens of the eye that impairs normal vision as the lens starts to become opaque.
Central Vision: This fine, sharp vision comes from the macula in the center of the retina. For reading and other tasks that require looking straight ahead, light is focused onto the macula. There, millions of cells change light into nerve signals to tell the brain what is seen.
Choroid (pronounced khor-oyd): A part of the uvea. This layer of normal blood vessels in the wall of the eye runs from the ciliary body around the back of the eye between the retina and the sclera.
Choroidal Neovascularization (pronounced khor-oyd-al nee-oh-vas-cu-lar-iz-aa-shun): New and abnormal blood vessels that grow from the choroid under the retina.
Ciliary (pronounced sil-e-ar-ee) Body: A circular, pigmented part of the uvea. It makes clear aqueous fluid that fills the part of the eye in front of the lens. The ciliary body helps change the eye's focus with muscles attached to the lens.
Conjunctiva (pronounced kon-junk-tie-vah): A thin, moist layer that lines the inside of the eyelids and part of the outer surface of the eye.
Cornea (pronounced kor-nee-uh): The clear outer front of the eye. The cornea covers the iris, sending and focusing light into the pupil.
Depth Perception: The ability to recognize three dimensions and how they occupy space.
Diabetic Macular Edema (pronounced dye-uh-bet-ik mak-you-lar ed-ee-mah): Swelling of the macula associated with loss of detailed vision in people who have diabetes.
Drusen (pronounced drew-sen): Yellow waste material that can form in the retina.
Diode (pronounced dye-ode): One type of laser for treatment of wet macular degeneration.
Floaters: Small black dots or lines that patients see "floating" across the front of the eye.
Fluorescein Angiography (pronounced floor-ess-en anj-ee-og-ra-fee): A test in which fluorescent dye is injected into a vein to move freely within the eye while doctors take photographs of this intraocular circulation.
Fovea (pronounced fo-vee-ah): The functioning center of the macula containing the highest number of color sensors (cones) within the eye.
Glaucoma (pronounced glow-co-mah): A disease associated with increased pressure inside the eye. (see intraocular pressure). This rise in pressure may be seen with uveitis.
Hemorrhage (pronounced hem-or-ahg): A loss of blood that can occur beneath the retina. In macular degeneration, blood may sometimes get into the vitreous cavity.
Inflammation (pronounced in-flah-may-shun): Swelling, redness, heat, and pain from sickness, injury, trauma, or infection.
Intermediate uveitis (pronounced in-ter-meed-ee-at you-vee-eye-tis) : The part of the eye affected most by inflammation (see pars planitis).
Intraocular (pronounced in-trah-ock-you-lar) Lens (IOL): When a cataract is removed, a surgeon may insert a plastic intraocular lens (IOL). However, cataract surgery is difficult in the presence of uveitis, and this kind of lens may not be recommended.
Intraocular (pronounced in-trah-ock-you-lar) Pressure (IOP): The ciliary body makes aqueous fluid, keeping pressure stable within the eye. This fluid passes from behind the iris through the pupil, moves through the front chamber, and exits the eye through a drainage mechanism called the trabecular meshwork. If the amount of fluid in the eye becomes unbalanced, intraocular pressure will change. A rise in intraocular pressure is associated with glaucoma.
Iris (pronounced eye-ris): The very front part of the uvea. This colored ring of tissue holds muscle fibers that control light entering the eye. The iris adjusts pupil size so the eye is not dazzled by light.
Iritis (pronounced eye-write-is): Inflammation of the iris.
Keratitis (pronounced care-uh-tight-is): Inflammation of the cornea.
Keratitic precipitates (pronounced care-uh-tit-ik pree-sip-ih-tates (KPs): Bunches of inflammatory cells that "stick" to the inside of the cornea. During an eye exam, they can help to diagnose anterior uveitis.
Laser (pronounced lay-sir): A very narrow, high intensity light that is used to treat select eye disease such as certain types of diabetic macular edema.
Lens: The clear structure behind the pupil that helps to focus light onto the retina. The lens is the part of the eye that may develop a cataract.
Macula (pronounced mak-you-lah): A small area in the retina that contains light-sensitive cells to see fine detail clearly.
Macular degeneration (pronounced mak-you-lar dee-jen-er-aa-shun): A disease that affects the macula so that the eye slowly and progressively loses its ability to see fine detail clearly.
Mydriatic (pronounced my-dree-at-ik): Medicine that dilates (widens) the pupil during an eye exam.
Neovascularization (pronounced nee-oh-vas-qu-lar-iz-aa-shun): The growth of new blood vessels, possibly abnormal ones.
Optic Nerve (pronounced ahp-tik): The nerve that connects the eye to the brain, sending messages between these two areas.
Pars planitis (pronounced pars plan-eye-tis): Inflammation of a part of the ciliary body, also known intermediate uveitis.
Photocoagulation (pronounced fo-toe-ko-ag-you-lay-shun): The use of lasers to destroy tissue, abnormal blood vessels, and/or tumors in the eye.
Photodynamic Therapy (pronounced fo-toe-dye-nam-ik): Light-activated dye in combination with light-laser treatment that helps to close blood vessels.
Photophobia (pronounced fo-toe-fo-bee-uh): Painful oversensitivity to light that may be associated with anterior uveitis.
Posterior uveitis (pronounced pohs-teer-ee-or you-vee-eye-tis): Inflammation at the back of the eye.
Pupil (pronounced pew-pil): The round opening in the iris that lets light into the eye and onto the retina.
Retina (pronounced ret-in-uh): The nerve tissue lining the inside of the eye that senses light and sends waves of energy through the optic nerve to the brain.
Retinal Pigment Epithelial Detachment (pronounced ret-in-ull pig-ment ep-ih-theel-ee-ull dee-tahch-ment): A blister on the retina that forms as when a detached retina moves away from the choroidal blood vessel layer beneath it.
Sclera (pronounced sklair-uh): The outer coat of the eye.
Scotoma (pronounced sko-toe-mah): A blind or partially blind area of vision.
Stereopsis (pronounced ster-ee-op-sis): The ability to see with depth perception from both eyes.
Synechiae (pronounced sih-nek-ee-ay): Also called 'adhesions', this condition occurs when inflammation causes the iris to stick to the lens just behind it. (posterior synechiae).
Ultrasonography (pronounced ull-trah-sun-og-raf-ee) (or Ultrasound): The use of sound waves to examine the eye.
Uvea (pronounced you-vee-uh): The middle layer of the eye, made of the iris, the ciliary body, and the choroid.
Uveitis (pronounced you-vee-eye-tis): An inflammation of any part of the uvea.
Visual acuity (pronounced viz-you-ul aa-cue-it-ee): A measure of how well a person can see.
Visual field: The entire area that can be seen without moving the eyes, a measure of peripheral vision.
Vitrectomy (pronounced vi-trek-tow-mee): Removal of the gel (vitreous) from the center of the eye.
Vitreous (pronounced vit-ray-us): A clear gel inside the eye.
