DES
Abbreviation with 4 meanings
| Stands for | Dry eye syndrome |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 4 |
| Categories | Medical, Technology & Computing |
DES has four meanings. The most common are Dry eye syndrome (ophthalmology & ENT) and Drug-eluting stent (cardiology); it can also stand for Diethylstilbestrol and Data Encryption Standard.
Meanings of DES at a glance
| # | DES stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dry eye syndrome | Medical › Ophthalmology & ENT |
| 2 | Drug-eluting stent | Medical › Cardiology |
| 3 | Diethylstilbestrol | Medical › Drug |
| 4 | Data Encryption Standard | Technology & Computing › Cybersecurity |
1. Dry eye syndrome
Medical · Ophthalmology & ENT Abbreviations
Common condition in which the eyes do not produce enough tears or tears evaporate too quickly, causing burning, grittiness, redness, fluctuating vision and sometimes watering. It becomes more common with age, screen use, contact lenses and menopause.
Example: DES OU with rapid tear breakup; artificial tears QID, warm compresses, start cyclosporine.
Also called dry eye disease (DED). The international TFOS DEWS II report (2017) defined it as a multifactorial disease of the tear film and ocular surface. Prescription options include cyclosporine, lifitegrast and perfluorohexyloctane drops. In cardiology DES means drug-eluting stent.
2. Drug-eluting stent
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Metal mesh tube coated with a drug that slowly releases into the artery wall to prevent scar tissue regrowth (restenosis) after coronary angioplasty. Nearly all coronary stents placed today are drug-eluting, typically releasing everolimus, zotarolimus or sirolimus from a polymer coating.
Example: PCI of the proximal RCA with a 3.5 x 28 mm DES; DAPT for 12 months.
The first DES, coated with sirolimus, was approved in Europe in 2002 and in the US in 2003. Early designs carried a small risk of late stent thrombosis, which shaped long courses of dual antiplatelet therapy; thinner modern stents allow shorter courses for patients at high bleeding risk. In older obstetric records DES means diethylstilbestrol, a drug linked to cancers in daughters of women who took it.
3. Diethylstilbestrol
Medical · Drug Abbreviations
Synthetic estrogen prescribed to millions of pregnant women from the 1940s to 1971 in the mistaken belief that it prevented miscarriage. It was later linked to a rare vaginal cancer and reproductive problems in daughters exposed before birth.
Example: Patient is a DES daughter; annual pelvic exam with cytology recommended.
The FDA advised against use in pregnancy in 1971 after researchers linked prenatal exposure to clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina and cervix. "DES daughters" and "DES sons" remain subjects of long-term studies, and the episode shaped modern drug safety rules for pregnancy. In cardiology DES means drug-eluting stent.
4. Data Encryption Standard
Technology & Computing · Cybersecurity Abbreviations
A symmetric block cipher adopted as a US federal standard in 1977, using a 56-bit key that is now far too short to be secure. Its strengthened variant, Triple DES, lingered for decades in legacy payment systems.
Example: The audit flagged the old payment terminal for still encrypting PINs with DES.
Developed at IBM from the Lucifer cipher, with input from the NSA. In 1998 the Electronic Frontier Foundation's "Deep Crack" machine recovered a DES key in 56 hours. NIST disallowed Triple DES for encryption after 2023. AES replaced DES as the federal standard in 2001.
Related abbreviations
More ophthalmology & ENT abbreviations
- CRVO – Central retinal vein occlusion
- CSOM – Chronic suppurative otitis media
- CSR – Central serous retinopathy
- CYL – Cylinder
- DFE – Dilated fundus examination
- DME – Diabetic macular edema
- DR – Diabetic retinopathy
- ERM – Epiretinal membrane
See all 74 ophthalmology & ENT abbreviations →
More cardiology abbreviations
- DAPT – Dual antiplatelet therapy
- DBP – Diastolic blood pressure
- DCCV – Direct current cardioversion
- DCM – Dilated cardiomyopathy
- DSE – Dobutamine stress echocardiogram
- DVT – Deep vein thrombosis
- ECG – Electrocardiogram
- echo – Echocardiogram
See all 229 cardiology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.