Signs of Trachoma

Trachoma is caused by an infection of Chlamydia trachomatis in the eye. It is an infectious disease, often spread between children or from mother to child. Trachoma can cause the eyelids to turn inward, and the irritation caused by the eye lashes brushing against the eyeball can induce blindness. It is identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a priority eye disease. Avoiding blindness only requires early recognition of trachoma and immediate treatment.

The Normal Eye

• Knowing what the eye should look like normally is an important part of identifying trachoma. Normally, the eyelashes should not be touching the eye. The cornea is smooth and clear. The lining on the inside of the eyelid, called the tarsal conjunctiva, should be pink, smooth and transparent.

Primary Signs

• Of the five signs identified by the WHO, three are the most important. Trachomatous inflammation follicular (TF), trachomatous trichiasis (TT) and corneal opacity (CO). TF is presence of swellings on the upper part of the tarsal conjunctiva. TT is when one or more eyelash is turned inward toward the eye and indicates surgery is required to reduce the risk of blindness. CO is the degree to which the cornea, normally translucent, has become opaque.

Other Signs

• The final two signs of trachoma are trachomatous inflammation---intense (TI) and trachomatous conjunctival scarring (TS). TI is the extreme inflammation of the tarsal conjuctiva. TS is visible scarring on the tarsal conjunctiva.

Antibiotic Treatment

• Tetracycline eye ointment and azithromycin are both acceptable antibiotics for the treatment of trachoma. Tetracycline must be applied on the eye twice daily for a number of weeks and is inexpensive. Azithromycin requires only a single oral dose, but is relatively expensive.

Safely Assessing Symptoms

• It is important to remember when examining another person for symptoms to always wear gloves. Both the examiner and examinee should wash heir hands and face before and after the examination.