ABPS Ophthalmology study guide
ABPS Ophthalmology · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The ABPS Ophthalmology certification is a board credential offered by the American Board of Physician Specialties for ophthalmologists who want to demonstrate mastery of the full scope of clinical eye care beyond residency training. It is intended for practicing physicians who diagnose and manage disorders of the anterior segment, lens, retina, optic nerve, orbit, and ocular adnexa, as well as pediatric and inflammatory disease. The ABPS Ophthalmology study guide has 10 sections and about 2,358 words.
01Anterior Segment and Cornea
Master the layers of the cornea and what each contributes to disease. Epithelial disease produces punctate staining and rapid turnover; stromal disease produces haze, scarring, and vascularization; endothelial failure produces edema that is worse on waking.
299 words, about 1 min02Cataract and Refractive Surgery
Understand cataract grading, indications for surgery (visual function, not just density), and biometry. Know the difference between axial length measurement methods and when to use immersion or optical biometry.
275 words, about 1 min03Glaucoma
Know the difference between open-angle and angle-closure mechanisms, and the anatomy of the angle (trabecular meshwork, Schlemm canal, scleral spur). Understand optic nerve head assessment: cupping, neuroretinal rim thinning, disc hemorrhage, and retinal nerve fiber layer loss.
266 words, about 1 min04Retina and Vitreous
Understand retinal vascular disease: diabetic retinopathy (microaneurysms, dot-blot hemorrhages, hard exudates, neovascularization) and vein occlusion (blood and thunder fundus, sector distribution). Know the stages of diabetic retinopathy and when to treat with panretinal photocoagulation (high-risk proliferative disease) versus antivascular endothelial growth factor for macular edema.
259 words, about 1 min05Neuro-Ophthalmology
Master the afferent and efferent pathways. Know how to localize visual field defects: optic nerve (central scotoma), chiasm (bitemporal hemianopia), optic tract (homonymous hemianopia), and occipital lobe (homonymous hemianopia with macular sparing).
235 words, about 1 min06Oculoplastics and Orbital Disease
Understand eyelid anatomy and the lacrimal system. Know common eyelid lesions: chalazion (sterile granuloma, treated with warm compresses or excision), hordeolum (infection), basal cell carcinoma (pearly, ulcerated, most common), squamous cell carcinoma, and sebaceous carcinoma (yellow, pagetoid spread).
221 words, about 1 min07Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
Understand visual development and amblyopia: critical period, deprivation versus strabismic amblyopia, and treatment with patching or atropine. Know strabismus types: esotropia (infantile, accommodative), exotropia (intermittent), and vertical deviations.
193 words, under 1 min08Uveitis and Ocular Inflammation
Classify uveitis by location: anterior, intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis. Know the signs: cells and flare in the anterior chamber, keratic precipitates, and posterior synechiae.
198 words, under 1 min09Ocular Oncology and Pathology
Know intraocular tumors: uveal melanoma (most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults; risk of metastasis to liver), retinoblastoma (most common intraocular malignancy in children; leukocoria, calcification), and choroidal nevus versus melanoma. Understand conjunctival tumors: squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, and lymphoma.
219 words, about 1 min10Optics, Refraction, and Low Vision
Understand refractive error: myopia (minus lenses), hyperopia (plus lenses), astigmatism (cylinder), and presbyopia (loss of accommodation). Know the optics of the eye: corneal power, lens power, and axial length.
193 words, under 1 min