CPOA Ocular Diseases & Conditions 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient reports a sudden onset of floaters, flashes of light, and a curtain-like shadow across their vision. Which condition is most likely and requires urgent referral?
- Vitreous detachment without tear
- Retinal detachment (Correct answer)
- Posterior uveitis
- Central retinal artery occlusion
Correct answer: Retinal detachment
A curtain-like shadow combined with new floaters and photopsia (flashes) is a classic presentation of retinal detachment, a sight-threatening emergency requiring immediate ophthalmologic evaluation.
Question 2: Blepharitis is most commonly associated with inflammation of which structures?
- Cornea and conjunctiva
- Uveal tract
- Eyelid margins and meibomian glands (Correct answer)
- Lacrimal gland
Correct answer: Eyelid margins and meibomian glands
Blepharitis is a chronic inflammation of the eyelid margins, often involving the meibomian glands, leading to crusting, redness, and irritation along the lids.
Question 3: Strabismus is defined as:
- Reduced vision in one eye due to refractive error
- Misalignment of the eyes (Correct answer)
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Clouding of the vitreous humor
Correct answer: Misalignment of the eyes
Strabismus refers to a condition in which the two eyes do not align properly and point in different directions, either constantly or intermittently.
Question 4: Amblyopia, commonly known as 'lazy eye,' results from:
- Structural damage to the optic nerve from glaucoma
- Abnormal visual development during childhood causing reduced vision in one eye (Correct answer)
- Age-related loss of accommodation
- Corneal scarring from infection
Correct answer: Abnormal visual development during childhood causing reduced vision in one eye
Amblyopia occurs when the visual cortex fails to develop properly due to abnormal visual input during the critical period of childhood, resulting in reduced best-corrected visual acuity in one eye without organic disease.
Question 5: Which layer of the eye is primarily affected in uveitis?
- Retina
- Cornea
- Uveal tract (iris, ciliary body, choroid) (Correct answer)
- Sclera
Correct answer: Uveal tract (iris, ciliary body, choroid)
Uveitis is inflammation of the uveal tract, which comprises the iris, ciliary body, and choroid, and it can be classified as anterior, intermediate, posterior, or panuveitis based on location.
Question 6: A pterygium is best described as:
- A benign cyst on the eyelid
- A fibrovascular growth of conjunctival tissue that extends onto the cornea (Correct answer)
- A yellow fatty deposit on the conjunctiva that does not encroach on the cornea
- Inflammation of the cornea
Correct answer: A fibrovascular growth of conjunctival tissue that extends onto the cornea
A pterygium is a wing-shaped fibrovascular overgrowth of bulbar conjunctiva that invades the cornea, often associated with UV exposure, and can distort vision if it encroaches on the visual axis.
Question 7: Which systemic disease is most strongly associated with an increased risk of developing open-angle glaucoma?
- Hypothyroidism
- Diabetes mellitus (Correct answer)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Celiac disease
Correct answer: Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a significant risk factor for open-angle glaucoma, as it may affect aqueous outflow and optic nerve health through vascular and metabolic mechanisms.
CPOA Ocular Diseases & Conditions 2
A patient reports a sudden onset of floaters, flashes of light, and a curtain-like shadow across their vision.
Which condition is most likely and requires urgent referral?