Animal Eponyms in Eye Care

Abstract

There are many eponyms derived from the animal world that help describe what is observed during an ophthalmological examination. These zoologically-based eponyms tell a story between the animal kingdom and the human eye. Medical nomenclature could be described as suffering from eponymophilia. Eponymous descriptions are ubiquitous in the field of medicine as seen in text in these fields: dermatology, neurology,and trichology. Eponyms, however practical, are profoundly affected by local geography and culture, which can contribute to confusion and misunderstanding, particularly amongst practitioners from different cultures and locations. Deriving meaning from eponyms often necessitates ethnocentric or linguistically exclusive knowledge. While the debate surrounding whether to continue the use of eponyms in medicine roars on, to the authors’ knowledge, a review of animal eponyms used in ophthalmology has been limited, as such, this manuscript will review animal eponyms encountered in ophthalmology and optometry with the aim to clarify meaning and provide a useful reference for practicing and trainee eye physicians. As this work was undertaken to review commonly encountered conditions, no detailed pathophysiology will be described as it is beyond the scope of this article. Of note, not all eponyms reviewed are based on physical appearances (e.g. chicken eyes). CE Notification: This article is available as a COPE accredited CE course. You may take this course for 1-hour credit. Read the article and take the qualifying test to earn your credit. Click here to Enroll (https://www.crojournal.com/animal-eponyms-in-eye-care)