ophthalmia (off-thal-miă) n. inflammation of the eye, particularly the conjunctiva (see conjunctivitis). o. neonatorum a form of conjunctivitis occurring in newborn infants, who contract the disease as they pass through an infected birth canal. The two most common infections are gonorrhoea and Chlamydia. Unless both mother and baby are treated (with antibiotics), the infection may cause permanent eye disease. sympathetic o. a granulomatous uveitis affecting all parts of the uveal tract of both eyes that may develop after perforating trauma or (more rarely) intraocular surgery.

ophthalmia inflammation of the eye. XVI (earlier not naturalized). — late L. — Gr. ophthalmíā. f. ophthalmós EYE; see -IA1.
So ophthalmic XVII. — L. — Gr.