Ophthalmic Abbreviations: Complete COA Exam Reference Guide
Medical AbbreviationsOphthalmic TerminologyCOA Reference
Ophthalmic documentation uses a dense system of abbreviations that can be overwhelming at first. The COA exam tests your ability to interpret and use these abbreviations correctly in clinical context -- not just memorize a list but understand what each abbreviation means in a real patient record.
This reference is organized by clinical category so you can study related abbreviations together and understand how they fit into actual documentation. Each table includes the abbreviation, the full term, and a brief clinical context to anchor the meaning.
Vision and Visual Acuity Abbreviations
Abbrev.
Full Term
Clinical Context
OD
Oculus dexter (right eye)
Always document which eye; never assume bilateral findings
OS
Oculus sinister (left eye)
OD = right, OS = left; a common source of error if confused
OU
Oculus uterque (both eyes)
Used when findings or instructions apply to both eyes equally
sc
Sine correctione (without correction)
VA without glasses/contacts; baseline refractive status
cc
Cum correctione (with correction)
VA with best optical correction in place
BCVA
Best-corrected visual acuity
Best possible VA achievable with any correction; pathology baseline
UCVA
Uncorrected visual acuity
Equivalent to VA sc; important post-LASIK or post-cataract
CF
Counting fingers
Record distance: "CF at 3 ft"; worse than 20/400
HM
Hand motion
Detects motion but cannot count fingers
LP
Light perception
Detects light but no form; specify projection (LP with projection / LP without)
NLP
No light perception
No functional vision; legally and functionally blind in that eye
PH
Pinhole
VA through pinhole occluder; improvement suggests refractive cause
Structural and Anatomical Abbreviations
Abbrev.
Full Term
Clinical Context
AC
Anterior chamber
Space between cornea and iris; depth and cells documented
PC
Posterior chamber
Space behind the iris where the IOL sits; also posterior pole region
PCIOL
Posterior chamber intraocular lens
IOL placed in capsular bag or ciliary sulcus after cataract surgery
ACIOL
Anterior chamber intraocular lens
IOL placed in front of iris; older design, fewer implanted today
NVI
Neovascularization of the iris
Abnormal vessel growth on iris; associated with diabetic retinopathy, CRVO
NVA
Neovascularization of the angle
New vessels in trabecular meshwork; causes neovascular glaucoma
NVE
Neovascularization elsewhere (retinal periphery)
Peripheral retinal neovascularization in PDR or other ischemic retinopathy
NVD
Neovascularization of the disc
New vessels at the optic disc; high-risk PDR finding; often requires PRP
PVD
Posterior vitreous detachment
Vitreous separates from retina; causes floaters/flashes; risk of retinal tear
PDR
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Advanced DR with neovascularization; treated with PRP or anti-VEGF
NPDR
Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Early to moderate DR without neovascularization; graded mild/moderate/severe
CNV
Choroidal neovascularization
Abnormal vessels from choroid into retina; primary target in wet AMD
CME
Cystoid macular edema
Fluid accumulation in the macula in cystic pattern; OCT diagnostic
CWS
Cotton-wool spots
Nerve fiber layer infarcts; white fluffy retinal lesions; seen in DR, HTN, HIV
HE
Hard exudates
Lipid deposits from leaky vessels; yellow-white retinal deposits in DR or HTN
Tonometry and Glaucoma Abbreviations
Abbrev.
Full Term
Clinical Context
IOP
Intraocular pressure
Normal 10-21 mmHg; always document method and time
GAT
Goldmann applanation tonometry
Gold standard for IOP measurement; requires topical anesthetic and fluorescein
NCT
Non-contact tonometry
Air-puff tonometer; no contact needed; less accurate than GAT
OHT
Ocular hypertension
IOP >21 mmHg with normal optic nerve and visual fields; glaucoma risk factor
NTG
Normal-tension glaucoma
Glaucomatous optic nerve damage with IOP consistently <21 mmHg
OAG
Open-angle glaucoma
Most common type; angle appears open on gonioscopy; progressive optic nerve damage
CAG / ACG
Closed-angle glaucoma / Angle-closure glaucoma
Angle blocked; acute form is emergency with high IOP, pain, nausea
C/D
Cup-to-disc ratio
Ratio of optic cup to disc diameter; >0.6 or asymmetry ≥0.2 is suspicious for glaucoma
Practice COA Terminology Questions
The COA exam tests your ability to use and interpret abbreviations in clinical context. Practice with real exam-style questions and AI explanations.
Refraction and Optics Abbreviations
Abbrev.
Full Term
Clinical Context
Sph
Sphere
Spherical component of a prescription; positive = hyperopic, negative = myopic
Cyl
Cylinder
Cylindrical component for astigmatism correction
Ax
Axis
Axis of cylinder in degrees (1-180); WTR ~180°, ATR ~90°
Add
Addition (near add power)
Plus power added for near vision in presbyopes; ranges +1.00 to +3.00
SE
Spherical equivalent
Sph + (Cyl/2); converts full prescription to single sphere for quick comparison
VA
Visual acuity
Snellen fraction (20/20) or LogMAR (0.0 = 20/20); always specify eye and correction
J1, J2
Jaeger near vision notations
Near acuity card; J1 is approximately 20/20 equivalent at near; smaller number = better
Medication and Instruction Abbreviations
Abbrev.
Full Term
Clinical Context
gtts
Drops (guttae)
"1 gtt OU BID" = one drop in each eye twice daily
QD / QDay
Once daily
QD is on the TJC Do Not Use list (confusion with QID); write "daily" instead
BID
Twice daily
Every 12 hours; common for antibiotic drops
TID
Three times daily
Every 8 hours; common for anti-inflammatory drops
QID
Four times daily
Every 6 hours; common for post-operative steroid drops
prn
As needed (pro re nata)
"Lubricating drops prn" = use as needed for dryness
NKDA
No known drug allergies
Document NKDA explicitly; do not leave allergy field blank
Imaging and Diagnostic Test Abbreviations
Abbrev.
Full Term
Clinical Context
HVF
Humphrey visual field
Automated static perimetry; standard for glaucoma monitoring
SITA
Swedish Interactive Threshold Algorithm
HVF testing strategy; SITA Standard and SITA Fast are the two main options
OCT
Optical coherence tomography
Cross-sectional retinal imaging; standard for AMD, DME, glaucoma RNFL
OCTA
OCT angiography
Non-invasive retinal vascular imaging without dye injection
FA
Fluorescein angiography
Intravenous dye study for retinal vascular disease; requires IV access
ICGA
Indocyanine green angiography
Choroidal vasculature imaging; used with AMD and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy
FP
Fundus photography
Retinal documentation; standard for DR grading and AMD monitoring
PAM
Potential acuity meter
Estimates retinal potential VA through dense cataract; pre-op counseling tool
ERG
Electroretinogram
Measures retinal electrical response to light; diagnoses inherited retinal dystrophies
Surgical Abbreviations
Abbrev.
Full Term
Clinical Context
CE+IOL
Cataract extraction with IOL implantation
Standard modern cataract surgery with artificial lens implant
ECCE
Extracapsular cataract extraction
Nucleus removed in one piece; larger incision; less common now
ICCE
Intracapsular cataract extraction
Entire lens including capsule removed; historical procedure
SLT
Selective laser trabeculoplasty
Laser treatment to trabecular meshwork to lower IOP; repeatable
ALT
Argon laser trabeculoplasty
Older IOP-lowering laser; largely replaced by SLT
LPI
Laser peripheral iridotomy
Creates opening in iris to relieve pupillary block; used in narrow-angle/ACG
PPV / TPPV
Pars plana vitrectomy / Trans pars plana vitrectomy
Vitreous removal surgery; used for RD, vitreous hemorrhage, ERM
PRP
Pan-retinal photocoagulation
Scatter laser to peripheral retina; standard for high-risk PDR
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "sc" and "cc" mean in ophthalmic documentation?
These are Latin abbreviations for testing conditions. "sc" (sine correctione) means "without correction" -- the visual acuity or test was performed without the patient wearing their glasses or contact lenses. "cc" (cum correctione) means "with correction" -- the patient was wearing their best corrective lenses during testing. Always document which condition was used, because VA sc and VA cc can differ dramatically. Example: "VA OD sc 20/200, cc 20/25."
What is the difference between BCVA and UCVA?
BCVA (best-corrected visual acuity) is the best visual acuity achievable with any corrective lens -- glasses or contact lenses -- regardless of the patient's current prescription. UCVA (uncorrected visual acuity) is acuity without any optical correction. UCVA is equivalent to VA sc. BCVA represents the maximum vision the optical system can provide and is the clinically important baseline for most conditions. A patient with 20/200 UCVA who achieves 20/20 BCVA has a refractive problem; one who achieves only 20/80 BCVA with full correction has an additional pathological problem.
What do the abbreviations CF, HM, LP, and NLP mean for visual acuity?
These describe visual acuity too poor to read even the largest Snellen letter (20/400 or worse). CF (counting fingers) = patient can count fingers held at a specified distance (e.g., "CF at 2 feet"). HM (hand motion) = patient detects motion of examiner's hand but cannot count fingers. LP (light perception) = patient detects presence of a light but no details. NLP (no light perception) = patient cannot detect any light; the eye has no functional vision. LP/NLP distinction is critical -- LP means some retinal or optic nerve function; NLP means complete blindness in that eye.
What does the abbreviation PH mean in visual acuity testing?
PH stands for "pinhole" -- visual acuity measured through a pinhole occluder. A pinhole reduces the retinal blur circle from uncorrected refractive error by limiting the beam of entering light to paraxial rays. If VA improves significantly with pinhole (e.g., from 20/200 to 20/30), the reduced acuity is largely refractive in origin and correctable with lenses. If VA does not improve with pinhole (especially less than 2 lines improvement), there is likely a pathological cause -- corneal opacity, cataract, macular disease, optic nerve disease, or amblyopia.
What abbreviations are used for IOL types in documentation?
PCIOL (posterior chamber intraocular lens) is an IOL placed in or behind the capsular bag, behind the iris -- the most common type after phacoemulsification. ACIOL (anterior chamber IOL) is placed in front of the iris and is less common today. Pseudophakia describes the state of having a surgically implanted IOL (the eye is "pseudo" phakic -- it has a lens but not the natural one). Aphakia is the absence of the crystalline lens with no IOL implant. The relevant systemic condition is documented as "pseudophakic OD" or "aphakic OS" in the chart.
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