Category: O

A genus of parasitic flukes occurring in E Europe and parts of SE Asia. O. felineus is normally a parasite of fish-eating mammals but accidental infections of man have occurred. The adult flukes, which live in the bile ducts, can cause opisthorchiasis.  

The operation of making an incision in the eyeball.  

Rupture of the eyeball. This is usually due to a severe blow to the eye.  

Measurement of the blood pressure in the vessels of the retina of the eye. A small instrument is pressed against the eye until the vessels are seen (through an ophthalmoscope) to collapse. The pressure recorded by the instrument reflects the pressure within the vessels of the retina. In certain disorders of the blood circulation to…

The smallest of the three branches of the trigeminal nerve. It supplies sensory fibers to the eyeball, conjunctiva, and lacrimal gland, to a small region of the nasal mucous membrane, and to the skin of the nose, brows, and scalp. A branch of the trigeminal (fifth cranial) nerve. It is sensory and has lacrimal, frontal,…

The motile elongated zygote of the malarial parasite (Plasmodium), formed after fertilization of the macrogamete. The ookinete bores through the lining of the mosquito’s stomach and attaches itself to the outer wall, where it later forms an oocyst. An elongated motile zygote occurring in the life cycle of certain sporozoan parasites, especially those of the…

Inventing words that reflect the sound made by the object or event to be described. It is one of the principles that guide some schizophrenics in the production of neologisms. The formation of words that imitate the sounds with which they are associated (e.g., hiss, buzz).  

The six-hooked larva of a tapeworm. If ingested by a suitable intermediate host, such as a pig or an ox, the larva will use its hooks to penetrate the wall of the intestine. The larva subsequently migrates to the muscles, where it develops into a cysticercus.  

The procedure of introducing a light oil into the pleural cavity so that the lung is allowed to collapse. This was sometimes formerly undertaken to allow healing in a lung damaged by tuberculosis.  

An antibiotic used to treat infections caused by a wide range of bacteria. It is administered by mouth or injection and is usually without side-effects.