Glossary

Author: Glossary

  • Glue ear

    The chronic accumulation of a viscous exudate in the middle ear, occurring principally in children who are 5 to 8 years old. It causes deafness, which can be treated by removal of the exudate. Glue ear refers to the build-up of fluid within the middle ear’s cavity, leading to a reduction in hearing ability. This…

  • Eales disease

    Recurrent hemorrhage into the retina and vitreous, most commonly seen in men in the second and third decades of life. The cause is unknown. An uncommon medical condition primarily observed in young males is marked by inflammation of the retinal veins and recurrent vitreous hemorrhage, wherein blood leaks into the vitreous humor, the gel-like substance…

  • Dyszoospermia

    Imperfect formation of spermatozoa.  

  • Rod-cone dystrophy

    A form of retinitis pigmentosa in which rod degeneration precedes cone degeneration. Night blindness is usually the first symptom, followed by peripheral visual loss.  

  • Macular dystrophy

    Any inherited, progressive degeneration of the macula lutea retinae, marked by progressive central visual loss beginning in childhood or adolescence. Representative forms of macular dystrophy include Best’s disease and Stargardt disease.  

  • Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

    A hereditary form of progressive muscular dystrophy with onset in childhood or adolescence. It is marked by atrophic changes in the muscles of the shoulder girdle and face, inability to raise the arms above the head, myopathic facies, eyelids that remain partly open in sleep, and inability to whistle or purse the lips. This particular…

  • Congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy

    An eye disorder in which the corneal endothelium becomes cloudy, resulting in myopia.  

  • Cone-rod dystrophy

    A form of retinitis pigmentosa in which central visual loss occurs first. Common symptoms include progressive visual loss followed by the loss of color perception, and eventually, peripheral visual loss and night blindness. The visual loss is not correctable with standard lenses.  

  • Adiposogenital dystrophy

    A condition marked by obesity and hypogenitalism due to a disturbance in the hypothalamus, which controls food intake, and of the pituitary, which controls gonadal development.  

  • Dystrophoneurosis

    Defective nutrition caused by disease of the nervous system.