capillaries
Tiny Blood Vessels
Plain-language definition
The smallest blood vessels connecting arteries to veins. In the retina, capillary damage from diabetes causes microaneurysms, leakage, and vision loss.
Expanded explanation
capillaries is the glossary term for Tiny Blood Vessels. On a full article page, it should be read as a anatomy term, not as a stand-alone diagnosis or treatment plan.
When this term appears in an article or clinic note, it is usually naming a structure, layer, space, or location. The important next step is to connect that structure with the symptom, exam finding, image, or disease process being discussed.
In eye care context
Anatomy terms name the eye, orbit, optic nerve, retina, or visual pathway structures that may appear in an exam note or imaging report.
What to look for around this term
- Which part of the eye, orbit, optic nerve, retina, or visual pathway is being described.
- Whether the structure is normal, swollen, thinned, inflamed, scarred, displaced, or damaged.
- Which test or exam finding showed the change, such as OCT, visual field testing, imaging, or the dilated eye exam.
Questions this term may raise
- Which structure is involved?
- Is the finding expected, borderline, or abnormal?
- Does this structure explain the symptoms being discussed?
- Category
- Anatomy
- Also written as
- No alternate forms listed.
Related glossary terms
A note on medical context
A glossary definition can explain a word, but it cannot tell you whether a symptom or test result is serious. If this term came from an article, use the full article and your clinician's guidance for context.