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Trachoma - Symptom

Alternative Names

Granular conjunctivitis; Egyptian ophthalmia; Conjunctivitis - granular

Symptoms:

Symptoms begin 5 to 12 days after being exposed to the bacteria. The condition begins slowly as inflammation of the tissue lining the eyelids (conjunctivitis, or "pink eye"), which if untreated may lead to scarring.

Symptoms may include:

Cloudy cornea
Discharge from the eye
Swelling of lymph nodes just in front of the ears
Swollen eyelids
Turned-in eyelashes

Signs and tests:

An eye exam may reveal scarring on the inside of the upper eye lid, redness of the white part of the eyes, and new blood vessel growth into the cornea.

Laboratory tests are needed to accurately identify and detect the bacteria and diagnose trachoma.

Eye

Reviewed last on: 8/22/2008
Paul B. Griggs, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Diseases Caused By Chlamydiae. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 339.

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