Anemic & Other Retinopathies MCQ Quiz | Retina & Optic Nerve

Welcome to this specialized quiz on Anemic and Other Retinopathies, designed for MBBS students preparing for their ophthalmology exams. This assessment covers key clinical features, pathophysiology, and differential diagnoses of various retinal conditions secondary to systemic diseases, including anemia, hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell disease, and more. Each of the 25 multiple-choice questions is crafted to test your understanding of pathognomonic signs like Roth spots, sea-fan neovascularization, and cotton-wool spots. After submitting your answers, you’ll receive your score and see a detailed breakdown of correct and incorrect responses. For your revision, you can also download a PDF copy of all questions and their correct answers. Good luck!

1. What is the most characteristic fundus finding in severe anemic retinopathy, also seen in conditions like leukemia and infective endocarditis?

2. Anemic retinopathy is most commonly associated with a chronic hemoglobin level below which threshold?

3. Arteriovenous (AV) nipping is a key feature of which grade of Keith-Wagener-Barker (KWB) classification for hypertensive retinopathy?

4. Elschnig spots, which are focal choroidal infarcts appearing as hyperpigmented spots with a hypopigmented halo, are seen in which condition?

5. What is the earliest clinically detectable sign of diabetic retinopathy?

6. Hard exudates in diabetic retinopathy are primarily composed of what substance that has leaked from incompetent capillaries?

7. The defining feature that differentiates Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR) from Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR) is the presence of:

8. Cotton-wool spots, seen in various retinopathies including diabetic and hypertensive, represent:

9. “Sea-fan neovascularization” is a pathognomonic sign of which stage of proliferative sickle cell retinopathy?

10. Which hemoglobin genotype is most commonly associated with proliferative sickle cell retinopathy?

11. “Plus disease” in Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a sign of severe, active disease characterized by:

12. A flat, white demarcation line that separates the posterior vascular retina from the anterior avascular retina is characteristic of which stage of ROP?

13. Roth spots consist of a central white spot surrounded by hemorrhage. What does the central spot typically represent in leukemic retinopathy?

14. Besides retinal hemorrhages and Roth spots, what is another common fundus finding in a patient with leukemia?

15. Radiation retinopathy is a delayed-onset occlusive microangiopathy. What is the typical latency period after radiation therapy to the head/neck region for signs to appear?

16. The clinical fundus findings of radiation retinopathy (e.g., microaneurysms, telangiectasias, cotton-wool spots, neovascularization) most closely mimic which other retinopathy?

17. Purtscher’s retinopathy, characterized by multiple cotton-wool spots and Purtscher flecken, is classically associated with which systemic condition?

18. What are Purtscher flecken?

19. The presence of papilledema (optic disc swelling) is a defining characteristic of which Keith-Wagener-Barker grade of hypertensive retinopathy?

20. The presence of tiny, glistening, yellow-white intravascular crystals in the posterior pole is characteristic of talc retinopathy, a condition often seen in which patient population?

21. A patient being treated for Hepatitis C with interferon therapy develops cotton-wool spots and retinal hemorrhages. What is the most appropriate initial management step?

22. The fundus changes in anemic retinopathy are primarily a result of what two pathophysiological mechanisms?

23. Intraretinal Microvascular Abnormalities (IRMA) are a key feature that helps define which stage of diabetic retinopathy?

24. What does the “black sunburst” sign in sickle cell retinopathy represent?

25. Which of the following is NOT a direct sign of retinal ischemia?