Corneal Disease Glossary of Terms

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Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Absorb: 1. To take something in, as through the skin or the intestine.
2....

Acyclovir: (Brand name: Zovirax) One of a group of antiviral drugs that acts against the...

Allergic reaction: The hypersensitive response of the immune system of an allergic indiv...

Allergy: A misguided reaction to foreign substances by the immune system, the body system ...

Amyloid: Any of a number of complex proteins that are deposited in tissues and that share ...

Anterior: The front, as opposed to the posterior. The anterior surface of the heart is tow...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

Antihistamines: Drugs that combat the histamine released during an allergic reaction by bl...

Aqueous humor: In medicine, humor refers to a fluid (or semifluid) substance. Thus, the aq...

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, w...

Astigmatism: A common form of visual impairment in which part of an image is blurred due t...

Atrophy: A wasting away or diminution. Muscle atrophy is a decrease in muscle mass, often ...

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Basement membrane: A thin membrane that is composed of a single layer of cells.

Blindness: Loss of useful sight. Blindness can be temporary or permanent. Damage to any p...

Blurred vision: Lack of sharpness of vision with, as a result, the inability to see fine d...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Cavities: Holes or structural damage in the two outer layers of a tooth called the enamel...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Cheek: The side of the face, which forms the side wall of the mouth. The cheekbone is part...

Chickenpox: A highly infectious viral disease also known medically as varicella -- in many...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Clinical trials: Trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications or medical...

Collagen: The principal protein of the skin, tendons, cartilage, bone, and connective tiss...

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

Cone: A type of specialized light-sensitive cell (photoreceptor) in the retina of the eye ...

Congenital: A condition that is present at birth, whether or not it is inherited.

Conjunctiva: A thin, clear, moist membrane that coats the inner surfaces of the eyelids (p...

Conjunctivitis: Inflammation of the membrane covering the surface of the eyeball. It can b...

Connective tissue: A material made up of fibers forming a framework and support structure...

Cornea: The clear front window of the eye, which transmits and focuses light into the eye....

Corneal: Pertaining to the cornea, the clear front window of the eye that transmits and fo...

Corneal dystrophy: A condition in which one or more parts of the cornea lose their normal ...

Corneal transplant: Replacement of a portion of the clear window on the front of the eye (...

Decongestant: A drug that shrinks the swollen membranes in the nose, making it easier for ...

Discharge: 1.The flow of fluid from part of the body, such as from the nose or vag...

Donor: The giver of a tissue or an organ, such as a blood donor or kidney donor.

Down syndrome: A common birth defect that is usually due to an extra chromosome 21 (trisom...

Drain: A device for removing fluid from a cavity or wound. A drain is typically a tube or ...

Dry eye: A deficiency of tears. The main symptom is usually a scratchy or sandy feeling as...

Edema: The swelling of soft tissues as a result of excess fluid accumulation. Edema is oft...

Endothelial: Relating to the endothelium.

Endothelium: A layer of flat cells lining the closed internal spaces of the body such as t...

Epithelial: Relating to the epithelium.

Epithelium: The outside layer of cells that covers all the free, open surfaces of the body...

Erosion: An erosion is an eating away of a surface. ("Erodere" in Latin means to eat out.)...

Erythema: Redness of the skin that results from capillary congestion. Erythema can occur w...

Erythema multiforme: See: Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

Excimer laser: A laser that emits very concentrated light in the ultraviolet (UV) region o...

Eye bank: A place to store corneas (the clear "front window" of the eye) for use in future...

Eyelid: The lid or cover of the eye, a movable fold of skin and muscle that can be closed ...

Family history: The family structure and relationships within the family, including inform...

Farsightedness: An error of refraction in the human eye that causes light rays to focus be...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Flare: 1. an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Sometimes referred to as a flare-up, a fla...

Focal: Pertaining to a focus which in medicine may refer to:
1. The point at ...

Fungi: Plural of fungus.

Genes: The basic biological units of heredity. Segments of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) nee...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Genital: Pertaining to the external and/or internal organs of reproduction.

Glaucoma: A common eye condition in which the fluid pressure inside the eyes rises becaus...

Graft: Healthy skin, bone, kidney, liver, or other tissue that is taken from one part of t...

Herpes: A family of viruses. Herpes also refers to infection with one of the human herpesv...

Herpes zoster: Also called shingles, zona, and zoster. The culprit is the varicella-zoster...

Humor: In medicine, a fluid or semifluid substance. For example, the aqueous humor is the ...

Hyperopia: Farsightedness; the ability to see distant objects more clearly than close obj...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Involuntary: Done other than in accordance with the conscious will of the individual. The ...

Iris: The circular, colored curtain of the eye. The opening of the iris forms the pupil. T...

Iritis: Inflammation of the iris. The iris is the circular, colored curtain in the front o...

Itching: An uncomfortable sensation in the skin that feels as if something is crawling on ...

Keratectomy: Removal of part of the cornea. This can be done by surgical excision or by l...

Keratitis: Inflammation of the cornea. Keratitis can occur due to abrasion trauma, infecti...

Keratoconjunctivitis: Inflammation of the eye that involves both the cornea and conjunctiv...

Keratoconus: A cone-shaped cornea, with the apex of the cone being forward. Keratoconus ca...

Laser: A powerful beam of light that is used in some types of surgery to cut or destroy ti...

Lattice dystrophy: A form of hereditary corneal dystrophy in which there is an accumulatio...

Lens: The transparent structure inside the eye that focuses light rays onto the retina.

Lipid: Another word for "fat." (Please see the various meanings of Fat.) A lipid is more f...

Longitudinal: Along the length of something; running lengthwise or, by extension, over the...

Membrane: A very thin layer of tissue that covers a 'surface.

Menopause: The time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop; it is also...

Microscope: An optical instrument that augments the power of the eye to see small objects....

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Mucous: Pertaining to mucus, a thick fluid produced by the lining of some tissues of the b...

Mumps: An acute (sudden, shortlived) viral illness that usually presents with inflammation...

Myopia: Nearsightedness, the ability to see close objects more clearly than distant objec...

Nail: In medicine, there are two types of nails. One is just a plain old metal nail used t...

Nasal: Having to do with the nose.

Nearsightedness: The ability to see near objects more clearly than distant objects. Also ...

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

NEI: Stands for National Eye Institute, one of the US National Institutes of Health.

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Nevus: A pigmented spot on the skin, such as a mole. The plural of nevus is nevi.

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Ocular: Having to do with the eye.

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Operation: In medicine, a surgical procedure. Many operations are named after persons. The...

Ophthalmologist: A physician who practices ophthalmology.

Optic: Having to do with vision.

Optic nerve: The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain. The optic nerve carries the...

Osteogenesis: The production of bone.

Osteogenesis imperfecta: A group of inherited connective tissue diseases, all of which res...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pollen: Small, light, dry protein particles from trees, grasses, flowers, and weeds that m...

Prematurity: Historically, the definition of prematurity was 2500 grams (about 5 1/2 pound...

Prevalence: The proportion of individuals in a population having a disease or characterist...

Progressive: Increasing in scope or severity, advancing, or going forward. For example, a ...

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific orde...

Pterygium: A wing-like triangular membrane. Although a pterygium can be anywhere, includin...

Pupil: The opening of the iris. The pupil may appear to open (dilate) and close (constrict...

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy ...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Recipient: In medicine, someone who is given something, such as a blood transfusion or an ...

Recurrence: The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission. The reappearance ...

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

Refract: In ophthalmology, to determine the bending of light that takes place within the h...

Rejection: In transplantation biology, when the body's immune system attacks transplanted ...

Retina: The retina is the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, senses light, and c...

Retinitis pigmentosa: A group of inherited disorders in which abnormalities of the photore...

Retinopathy: Any disease of the retina, the light-sensitive membrane at the back of the ey...

Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of joint...

Sclera: The tough white outer coat over the eyeball that covers approximately the posterio...

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

Sensitivity: 1. In psychology, the quality of being sensitive. As, for example, sen...

Shingles: An acute infection caused by the herpes zoster virus, the same virus as causes ...

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (...

Sore throat: Pain in the throat. Sore throat may be caused by many different causes, inclu...

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

Stevens-Johnson syndrome: A serious systemic (bodywide) allergic reaction with a character...

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

Stroma: The supportive framework of an organ (or gland or other structure), usually compos...

Stromal: Pertaining to the stroma of an organ. See: Stroma.

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

Tear: A drop of the salty secretion of the lacrimal glands which serves to moisten the con...

Tear film: The liquid layer bathing the cornea and conjunctiva. It creates a perfectly smo...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Translation: The process by which the genetic code carried by messenger RNA (mRNA) directs...

Transplant: The grafting of a tissue from one place to another, just as in botany a bu...

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

UV radiation: Ultraviolet radiation. Invisible rays that are part of the energy that comes...

Viral: Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash wa...

Viral infection: Infection caused by the presence of a virus in the body. Depending on...

Virus: A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apar...