Meaning & use
anicteric sclerae
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrasemedical
A clinical finding that the whites of the eyes look normal, with no yellow tinge that would suggest jaundice.
Grammar: It works as a plural noun phrase, usually after be or have: the sclerae are anicteric, not is anicteric.
Patterns
- have anicteric sclerae
- the sclerae are anicteric
- note anicteric sclerae
- on examination: anicteric sclerae
The chart said the patient had anicteric sclerae, so jaundice seemed unlikely.
During the exam, she checked for anicteric sclerae before moving on to the abdomen.
At follow-up, the notes described anicteric sclerae and stable breathing.
Common combinations
- note anicteric sclerae
- On the form, the nurse was asked to note anicteric sclerae if the eyes looked clear.
- sclerae are anicteric
- The report stated that both sclerae are anicteric.
- anicteric sclerae and no jaundice
- The clinic recorded anicteric sclerae and no jaundice after the medication was stopped.
- compare anicteric sclerae with icteric sclerae
- Students learn to compare anicteric sclerae with icteric sclerae in liver disease.
Synonyms and how they differ
- normal sclerae
- A plainer description, but less precise because it does not explicitly rule out a yellow jaundice tint.
- no scleral icterus
- More technical and noun-based; it is common in clinical writing, while anicteric sclerae is a compact exam-note phrase.
- clear whites of the eyes
- Useful for patients, but it is everyday wording rather than a documented clinical finding.
Opposites
Word family
- anicteric adjective
- Showing no sign of jaundice, used in clinical descriptions.
- icteric adjective
- Relating to jaundice or a yellow discoloration of the eyes or skin.
- icterus noun
- The medical term for jaundice, especially yellowing caused by bilirubin.
- sclera noun
- The tough white outer coat of the eye; sclerae is its plural.
- scleral adjective
- Connected with the sclera, as in scleral icterus.
Commonly confused: anicteric sclerae or icteric? anicteric sclerae or conjunctiva?
anicteric sclerae vs icteric
Icteric means yellow from jaundice; anicteric means without that yellow sign, so the prefix changes the meaning completely.
anicteric sclerae vs conjunctiva
The conjunctiva is the clear membrane over the front of the eye, while the sclera is the white layer seen through it.
Practice
The clinician wrote that the patient's sclerae were ___ because there was no yellow tinge.
Choose one answer.
Anicteric means without jaundice, matching the absence of a yellow tinge. Icteric and jaundiced mean yellowing, and inflamed suggests redness rather than a bilirubin-related color change.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “anicteric sclerae”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.