Educational Content: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.
Definition of Sclero
Medically reviewed by Dr. Otari Nergadze, Neurosurgeon | Updated: January 2026
Sclero-: (Or scler-) A confusing prefix that can refer exclusively to hardness (from the Greek "skleros" meaning hard) but that can also refer to the sclera of the eye.
Sclerodactyly, for example, is localized thickening and tightness of the skin of the fingers or toes and scleroderma is disease of connective tissue with the formation of scar tissue (fibrosis) in the skin with hardening of the skin.
By contrast, scleroconjunctival relates to the sclera and the conjunctiva of the eye, sclerokeratitis refers to inflammation of the sclera and cornea and scleromalacia pertains to degenerative thinning of the sclera.