amaurosis
Noun: A medical term for partial or complete loss of vision that occurs without any apparent disease or damage to the structures of the eye itself. The cause is typically a problem affecting the visual pathway, such as a disease or lesion in the optic nerve, retina, or brain.
"Amaurosis" is a specialized term used primarily in medical contexts to describe a specific type of vision loss. It is not used in everyday conversation. It often appears in formal diagnoses, medical literature, and discussions of neurological or ophthalmological conditions.
- The patient was diagnosed with amaurosis following the stroke, which affected the visual cortex of his brain.
- Amaurosis fugax is a temporary episode of vision loss, often described as a curtain coming down over one eye, which can be a warning sign of a stroke.
- The study focused on the causes of amaurosis in infants, linking it to congenital conditions affecting the optic nerve.
- Amaurosis fugax: A specific and important subtype. This refers to a transient, temporary form of amaurosis, typically lasting seconds to minutes. It is often caused by a small embolus (a traveling particle) temporarily blocking blood flow to the retina. It is considered a medical emergency as it can be a precursor to a major stroke.
- Example: The episode of amaurosis fugax prompted immediate referral to a neurologist.
- Amaurotic (adjective): Relating to or suffering from amaurosis.
- Example: The patient exhibited amaurotic symptoms.
- Vision loss (general term)
- Blindness (general term for complete loss of sight; amaurosis can be partial or total)
- Visual impairment (broader, more general term)
Note: While these are related, "amaurosis" is more precise, specifying that the eye itself is not the primary diseased structure.
The word "amaurosis" has only one specific meaning in modern English: the medical condition described above. It does not have other common definitions or usages outside of medical terminology.
There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs that use the word "amaurosis." Due to its highly technical nature, it is not used in figurative or idiomatic expressions.
- partial or total loss of sight without pathology of the eye; caused by disease of optic nerve or retina or brain