Definition

1. Noun:
   • A medical condition characterized by abnormal dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea of the eyes: This condition is often caused by a severe, systemic deficiency of vitamin A.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The doctor diagnosed the patient with xerophthalmia due to prolonged malnutrition.
  • Vitamin A supplementation is crucial to prevent xerophthalmia in at-risk populations.

Advanced Usage

• Medical Context: The term is used almost exclusively in medical, nutritional, and public health contexts to describe a specific pathological state.
  • Xerophthalmia is a leading cause of preventable blindness in children in developing countries.

Variants and Related Words

• Xerophthalmic (adj): Relating to or affected by xerophthalmia.
  • The patient showed xerophthalmic changes in the ocular surface.

Synonyms

• Conjunctival xerosis: A more specific term for the dryness of the conjunctiva, which is a component of xerophthalmia.
• Dry eye syndrome: A broader, less severe, and more common condition that shares the symptom of dryness but has different etiologies. (Note: This is a related but not exact synonym, as xerophthalmia specifically implies vitamin A deficiency.)

Related Phrases and Terms

• Vitamin A deficiency: The primary systemic cause of xerophthalmia.
  • The public health campaign aimed to eradicate xerophthalmia by addressing vitamin A deficiency.
• Night blindness (nyctalopia): Often an early symptom of vitamin A deficiency that can precede xerophthalmia.

Noun

1. abnormal dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea of the eyes; may be due to a systemic deficiency of vitamin A