eye disorders
Trachoma
Introduction
Trachoma is a chronic conjunctivitis caused byChlamydia trachomatisand is characterized by progressive exacerbations and remissions. It is the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide. Initial symptoms are conjunctival hyperemia, eyelid edema, photophobia, and lacrimation. Later, corneal neovascularization and scarring of the conjunctiva, cornea, and eyelids occur. Diagnosis is usually clinical. Treatment is with topical or systemic antibiotics. (See also Overview of Conjunctival and Scleral Disorders .) Trachoma is endemic in resource-limited parts of North Africa, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Australia, and Southeast Asia, affecting 1.9 million people. It is also the cause of about 1.4 percent of blindness worldwide ( General reference ). The causative organism is 