Can trachoma be visually detected?
Disease description:
I chatted with my supervisor’s wife for a while, and she asked me whether I had trachoma. Is this condition really that easy to detect? Can trachoma be identified by visual inspection?
Trachoma can be visually identified. If *Chlamydia trachomatis* is detected in ocular secretions, the diagnosis is confirmed. Additional cytological examinations may also be performed. Moreover, the patient’s hygiene habits are generally poor. Clinical diagnosis of trachoma is based on characteristic signs and symptoms. Trachoma commonly causes conjunctival hyperemia, eyelid swelling, a foreign-body sensation, excessive tearing, and increased ocular discharge. On examination of the tarsal conjunctiva, numerous follicles are typically observed.