Chapter 11: The Eyes

SPECIAL SENSES: EYES
Chapter 11
Classroom Activity to Accompany
Medical Terminology Simplified,
Fourth Edition
Barbara A. Gylys Regina M. Masters
Copyright 2010 by F.A. Davis Company.
All rights reserved. This product is
protected by copyright. No part of it may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
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recording, or otherwisewithout written
permission from the publisher.

3
Structure
Globe-shaped, 2.5 cm in
diameter
Three layers
Fibrous outer tunic
Vascular middle tunic
Sensory inner tunic
Spaces within the eye are
filled with fluids to
support internal
structures
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4
Function
Eyes and accessory structures
Receptor organs provide vision.
Refraction system focuses light rays on
receptors in the retina.
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5
Structure and Function Exercise
Q: What is the composition of the outer layer of the eyeball?
A: Sclera, white of eye, is the outer layer and is made of
fibrous connective tissue.
Q: What does the middle layer of the eyeball consist of?
A: The middle layer is the vascular layer. It includes choroid,
ciliary body, and iris.
Q: What does the inner layer consist of?
A: The inner tunic consists of the retina, which contains the
visual receptor cells (photoreceptors).
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6
Cataract
Signs and Symptoms
Opacity or cloudiness of lens or its surrounding
membrane.
Develops slowly, most frequently due to aging
and can be familial.
May occur after eye injury or surgery, or with
diabetes.
Gradual loss or blurring of vision, but painless.
As cataract matures, pupil of the eye may appear
white.
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7
Cataract
Treatment
Depends on degree of visual impairment.
Depends on age, general health, and
occupation of the individual.
Glasses for mild cases. Surgery when
vision is impaired.
Surgical extraction of defective lens.
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8
Cataract
Treatment (continued)
Lens extraction followed by use of
eyeglasses, contact lenses, or surgically
implanted lenses called intraocular lenses
(IOLs).
Two most common surgical methods to
remove cataracts: phacoemulsification and
intracapsular and extracapsular extraction.
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9
Clinically Related Exercise
Q: An 80-year-old woman presents for an annual check up and asks the
ophthalmologist what causes cataracts.
A: The doctor explains it is a change in chemical composition of the lens
with loss of lens transparency. Also, it is attributed to aging (senile
cataracts), eye injuries (traumatic cataracts), certain diseases
(secondary cataracts), and heredity or birth defects (congenital
cataracts).
Q: Mary presents to OP surgery for cataract repair. The surgeon will use
ultrasonic vibrations to break the lens into tiny particles and then
suction it out of the eye. This surgical procedure is called
(keratectomy, laser iridectomy, phacoemulsification).
A: phacoemulsification
Q: Fred is having cataract surgery followed by a surgically implanted
lens. The abbreviation for intraocular lenses is _________________.
A: IOL
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10
Strabismus
Signs and Symptoms
Eyes cannot be
directed to focus on
the same object.
Esotropia, also called
cross-eye
Exotropia, also
called wall-eye
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11
Strabismus
Treatment
Depends on the cause.
Often consists of covering the normal eye,
forcing the child to use the deviating one.
Exercises and corrective lenses may be
ordered.
Surgical correction may be necessary.
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Q: When eyes deviate from the normal position toward various directions, the
diagnosis is _____________________.
A: strabismus
Q: A 5-year-old girl is diagnosed with strabismus. She has a deviation of one
eye toward the other eye. This is often referred to as cross-eye. The
medical term for this type of strabismus is __________________.
A: esotropia
Q: A 7-year-old boy displays deviation of the visual axis of one eye toward
the other and complains of double vision. The MA charts the symptom of
double vision as _________________.
A: diplopia
Q: Toms right eye intermittently deviates away from the other eye. The
medical term for this type of strabismus is __________________.
A: exotropia
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13
Glaucoma
Signs and Symptoms
Accumulated fluid
pressure within the
eye damages the
retina and optic nerve,
often causing
blindness.

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14
Glaucoma
Signs and Symptoms (continued)
Common forms develop asymptomatically.
Often not detected until irreparable
damage occurs to the retinas or optic
nerves.
When symptoms appear late, they may
include aching eyes and visual
disturbances such as seeing halos around
lights or a noticeable loss of peripheral
vision.
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15
Glaucoma
Treatment
Standard course of treatment is drug
therapy.
Certain types of drugs may be applied to
the surface of the eye to decrease
intraocular pressure.
Other drugs may be prescribed that
decrease production of aqueous humor.
Severe cases employ laser surgery to
promote drainage of aqueous humor.
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Q: The ophthalmologist diagnoses Mrs. J with increased intraocular pressure.
The abbreviation for this diagnosis is _____________.
A: IOP
Q: A 67-year-old is diagnosed with glaucoma. The physician prescribes eye
drops to decrease aqueous humor production in the eyes. This type of
medication is known as an _____________________ agent.
A: antiglaucoma
Q: Mary presents with complaints of aching eyes and seeing halos around
lights. The ophthalmologist finds an increase in intraocular pressure and
chart the diagnosis as ________________________.
A: glaucoma
Q: The patient asks the ophthalmologist about complications of not treating
her glaucoma.
A: He tells her that accumulated fluid produces pressure within the eye which
damages the retina and optic nerve, and leads to total loss of vision.
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Medical Vocabulary
achromatopsia
apnea
astigmatism
blepharospasm
conjunctivitis
dacryorrhea
diabetic retinopathy
diplopia
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Medical Vocabulary
hordoleum
Purulent
inflammatory
infection of a
sebaceous gland of
the eyelid; also
called sty.

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19
Medical Vocabulary
iridotomy
macular
degeneration
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20
Diagnostic Procedures
Tonometry
Detects glaucoma
by measuring
increased
intraocular
pressure
Visual acuity test
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Word Building Exercise
Q: Instrument to measure hearing:
A: audiometer
Q: Examination of the pupil:
A: pupilloscopy
Q: Act of measuring tension:
A: tonometry
Q: Inflammation of the retina:
A: retinitis
Q: Fear of light:
A: photophobia
Q: Paralysis of the eye:
A: ophthalmoplegia

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Medical and Surgical Procedures
Cataract surgery
Phacoemulsification
Iridectomy

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23
Medical and Surgical Procedures
Laser photocoagulation
Seals leaking or hemorrhaging retinal
blood vessels associated with diabetic
retinopathy.
Light from laser creates heat that
coagulates the tissues.

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Q: During eye surgery the ophthalmologist asks for the surgical instrument to
incise the cornea. This instrument is called a ____________.
A: keratotome
Q: After undergoing cataract surgery, a patient is unable to see. The
ophthalmologist suggests a surgical procedure that requires an incision into
the colored muscular layer that surrounds the pupil. This portion of the eye is
known as the ____________________.
A: iris
Q: A 62-year-old patient with drooping eyelids that impair her sight requires
surgery. The procedure for a surgical repair of the eyelids is referred to as
___________________________.
A: blepharoplasty
Q: Zia is diagnosed with glaucoma and is scheduled for an excision of a portion of
the iris to relieve intraocular pressure. This excision of the iris is documented
in the medical record as an __________________.
A: iridectomy
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Pharmacology
Antiglaucoma drugs
Miotics
Mydriatics

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Q: Prior to an eye examination, the technician administers an agent
to dilate the pupils, which is known as a(n) (antiglaucoma drug,
miotic, mydriatic).
A: mydriatic
Q: The nurse administers drops to constrict the pupils. This
medication is known as a(n) (antiglaucoma drug, miotic,
mydriatic).
A: miotic
Q: To reduce intraocular pressure by lowering the amount of
aqueous humor in the eyeball and increase aqueous humor
outflow, a(n) (antiglaucoma drug, miotic, mydriatic) is
prescribed.
A: antiglaucoma drug
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SPECIAL SENSES: EYES

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