| granular ophthalmia | <ophthalmology> A chronic infectious disease of the conjunctiva and cornea, producing photophobia, pain, lacrimation and blindness. It is one of the oldest infectious diseases known to mankind, and dates back several thousand years with first documentation as early as the pharaonic era in Egypt. The disease is associated with poor socioeconomic conditions in general: with overcrowding, poor personal and environmental hygiene and, in particular, with very limited access to water and sanitation. Trachoma has been eliminated as a blinding disease from several previously hyperendemic countries and regions, both through significant improvements in the socioeconomic status of populations and through specific control efforts. Despite these successes, in many least developed countries of the world blinding trachoma continues to be an important public health problem. In some of the countries where trachoma was once hyperendemic, there remain residual pockets of blinding trachoma and complications, such as inturned eyelashes (trichiasis), which require eyelid surgery. Today, the disease is found mainly in poor rural areas, including parts of central and south America, most African countries and some countries in the Eastern Mediterranean. Trachoma is still endemic in several Asian countries, but there is a lack of updated information from some major populations, e.g. In India and China. The organism that causes this disease is Chlamydia trachomatis; a microorganism resembling both bacteria and viruses, which spreads through contact with eye discharge from the infected person (on towels, handkerchiefs, fingers, etc.) and through transmission by eye-seeking flies. Chlamydia trachomatis provokes an inflammatory reaction in the eye with formation of follicles in the conjunctiva. After years of repeated infections, the inside of the eyelids may be scarred so severely that the eyelid turns inwards with eyelashes rubbing on the eyeball. If untreated, this condition leads to blindness. The World Health Organization is working towards global elimination of trachoma, which is responsible, at present, for at least 15% of the world's blindness. Worldwide, there are about 6 million people largely irreversibly blinded by trachoma, and an estimated 146 million cases of active disease in need of treatment, if blindness is to be prevented. International efforts to eliminate trachoma as a blinding disease will be based on a combination of interventions known by the acronym "SAFE", which stands for Surgery for trichiasis (inturned eyelashes), Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness and Environmental improvement. These interventions will be community-targeted and will seek community involvement through the primary health care approach. Origin: Gr. Trachoma = roughness (07 May 1998) |
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| granular pits | Pits on the inner surface of the skull, along the course of the superior sagittal sinus, in which are lodged the arachnoidal granulations. Synonym: foveolae granulares, pacchionian depressions. (05 Mar 2000) |
| granular pneumonocytes | Cuboidal cell's connected with the squamous pulmonary alveolar cell's and having in their cytoplasm lamellated bodies (cytosomes) that represent the source of the surfactant that coats the alveoli. Synonym: granular pneumonocytes, type II cells. (05 Mar 2000) |
| granular trachoma | <ophthalmology> The ordinary form of trachoma marked by the presence of granulations on the conjunctiva. Synonym: granular trachoma. (05 Mar 2000) |
| granular urethritis | <urology> Chronic urethritis with nodular lymphocytic infiltrations in the mucosa. Synonym: granular urethritis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| granular vaginitis | A condition of cattle manifested by the appearance of small, spherical, transparent nodules in the mucosa of the vagina of cows and of the penis of bulls; the mucosa is reddened and a mucopurulent exudate appears on the affected surfaces; it is a non specific hyperplastic response of the lymphatic tissue of these areas to an irritant or an antigen. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abdominal external oblique muscle | <anatomy, muscle> Origin, fifth to twelfth ribs; insertion, anterior half of lateral lip of iliac crest, inguinal ligament, and anterior layer of the rectus sheath; action, diminishes capacity of abdomen, draws thorax downward; nerve supply, thoracoabdominal nerves. Synonym: musculus obliquus externus abdominis, abdominal external oblique muscle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ambiguous external genitalia | External genitalia not clearly of either sex; most commonly designates external genitalia that are incompletely masculinised. (05 Mar 2000) |
| anterior scrotal branch of external pudendal artery | <anatomy, artery> Distribution, skin of anterior scrotum; anastomoses, posterior scrotal branches from internal pudendal artery. Synonym: rami scrotales anteriores arteriae pudendae externae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| aponeurosis of external abdominal oblique muscle | <anatomy> Broad, flat tendinous portion of the external abdominal oblique muscle. The fleshy fibres of the muscle end in the aponeurosis along a line descending vertically from the costochondral joint of the ninth rib then turning laterally just below the level of the umbilicus toward the anterior superior iliac spine. The fibres of the aponeurosis run medially and inferiorly, contributing to the anterior wall of the sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle and decussating with those of the contralateral aponeurosis at the median linea alba. Inferomedially, the aponeurosis is attached to the upper border of the pubic symphysis, the pubic crest and pubic tubercle. Between the anterior superior iliac spine and the pubic tubercle, it is thickened and turned under, forming the inguinal ligaments. The portion of the aponeurosis attached to the pubic bone forms the superficial inguinal ring by splitting into medial and lateral crura. See: external spermatic fascia, inguinal ligament, lacunar ligament, pectineal ligament, reflected inguinal ligament, superficial inguinal ring, rectus sheath. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bony part of external acoustic meatus | The medial two-thirds of the external acoustic meatus which is formed as the tympanic plate of the temporal bone develops; it extends approximately 16 mm. From its junction with the cartilaginous part to the tympanic membrane. (05 Mar 2000) |
| carotid artery, external | Branch of the common carotid artery which supplies the exterior of the head, the face, and the greater part of the neck. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cartilaginous part of external acoustic meatus | The lateral third of the external acoustic meatus which is continuous with the auricular cartilage and attached to the circumference of the bony part. (05 Mar 2000) |
| chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia | A specific type of slowly worsening weakness of the ocular muscles, usually associated with a pigmentary retinopathy. See: Kearns-Sayre syndrome, oculopharyngeal dystrophy. Synonym: ocular myopathy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| haemorrhoids, external | Haemorrhoids that occur below the dentate line and are generally painless. They are sometimes called skin tags, or can be seen or felt as extra skin around the anus. External haemorrhoids can become very distressing when the blood in the external haemorrhoid clots and inflammation irritates the nearby pain-sensitive skin. This condition is called a thrombosed external haemorrhoid and is quite painful. (07 Jan 1998) |