Xerophthalmia
From Ganfyd
ΕΤΥΜΟΛΟΓΙΑ
Greek. xeros - dry, late Middle English ← Late Latin ← Greek ophthalmos - eyeWeb Resources for Xerophthalmia
Relevant Clinical Literature
UK Guidance
Other Wikis
Medpedia on Xerophthalmia (Less technical, good quality control)
Wikipedia on Xerophthalmia (Less technical, ? quality control)
Xerophthalmia (conjunctivitis arida), is deficient tear production, typically associated with inflammation and can lead to irreversible corneal damage. While it is found in Vitamin A (retinol) deficiency, in this case it would probably have been preceded by night blindness. Such is highly unlikely in the developed world unless dietary fad intervenes, but regrettably is still common in undeveloped countries.
Other causes include:
- Amyloidosis
- Hypothyroidism
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sarcoidosis
- Scleroderma
- Sjogren's syndrome
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Drugs
see also
