Visual & Auditory Problems Key Terms

a benign tumor that occurs where the acoustic nerve (CN VIII) enters the internal auditory canal or the temporal bone from the brain.

a progressive deterioration of the maculae of the retina; divided into two forms: dry and wet.

reduced vision in an eye that is not corrected by refraction and does not have an obvious pathologic or structural cause.

a condition in which the crystalline lens of the eye is absent, usually because it has been surgically removed, as in the treatment of cataracts.

a chronic inflammatory condition of the lash follicles and meibomian glands of the eyelids, characterized by swelling, redness, and crusts of dried mucus on the lids.

an abnormal progressive condition of the lens of the eye, characterized by an opacity within the lens.

a small, localized swelling of the eyelid resulting from obstruction and retained secretions of the meibomian glands; a nonmalignant condition that often requires surgery for correction.

a cystic mass composed of epithelial cells and cholesterol that is found in the middle ear and occurs as a congenital defect or as a serious complication of chronic otitis media.

an infection or inflammation of the conjunctiva, caused by bacterial or viral infection, allergy, or environmental factors.

removal of the eye.

inflammation or infection of the epithelium of the auricle and ear canal.

a group of disorders characterized by (1) increased intraocular pressure and the consequences of elevated pressure, (2) optic nerve atrophy, and (3) peripheral visual field loss.

an infection of the sebaceous glands in the lid margin.

an inflammation or infection of the cornea that can be caused by a variety of microorganisms or by other factors.

a noninflammatory, usually bilateral disease of the cornea that is familial but has no exclusive inheritance pattern; the cause of the condition is unknown.

an inflammation of the inner ear affecting the cochlear or vestibular portion of the labyrinth or both, resulting in vertigo.

a disease characterized by symptoms caused by inner ear disease including episodic vertigo, tinnitus, fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, and aural fullness.

a hereditary condition of unknown cause in which irregular ossification occurring on the footplate of the stapes in the oval window results in decreased hearing acuity.

hearing loss associated with aging.

a hyperopic shift to farsightedness resulting from a loss of elasticity of the lens of the eye; the condition commonly develops with advancing age, with the first symptoms appearing about age 40 years.

a defect in the ability of the lens of the eye to focus an image accurately, such as occurs in nearsightedness and farsightedness.

a separation of the retina from the retinal pigment epithelium in the back of the eye, allowing the vitreous humor to leak between the two layers.

the process of microvascular damage of the retina; may develop slowly or rapidly.

a condition in which the patient cannot consistently focus two eyes simultaneously on the same object.