Buphthalmia

/bʌfˌθælmiə/ noun

Definition

An enlargement of the eye, particularly in infants with congenital glaucoma, where increased internal pressure causes the eyeball to swell.

Etymology

From Greek bous (ox) + ophthalmos (eye), literally 'ox eye,' because the enlarged eye resembles an ox's eye. The medical suffix -ia indicates a condition or disease state.

Kelly Says

The name perfectly captures what doctors see clinically—when a baby's eye swells from glaucoma, it literally looks like an ox eye staring out, and this ancient Greek image is still used in modern pediatric ophthalmology.

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