retinitis
[ret″ĭ-ni´tis] inflammation of the retina.
cytomegalovirus retinitis opportunistic infection of the retina by
cytomegalovirus, seen in
immunocompromised patients; symptoms include retinal necrosis and hemorrhage, leading to blindness.
retinitis pigmento´sa a group of diseases, frequently hereditary, marked by progressive loss of retinal response (as recorded by the
electroretinograph), retinal atrophy, attenuation of retinal vessels, and clumping of the pigment, with contraction of the field of vision. It may be transmitted as a dominant, recessive, or X-linked trait and is sometimes associated with other genetic defects. It may become manifest at the age of two or three years, or it may follow a slow course over a period of years. There is no successful treatment or cure for the condition. Early diagnosis allows the patient to prepare for the eventual loss of vision.
retinitis proli´ferans a condition that may result from intraocular hemorrhage, with neovascularization and the formation of fibrous bands extending into the vitreous from the retina; retinal detachment may result.
suppurative retinitis retinitis due to pyemic infection.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.