Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology questions

10 free ophthalmology sample questions across 5 subject areas. Full rationales included, no account required.

5 subject areas
10 free questions
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Ophthalmology free questions

Subject areas

See the full breadth of ophthalmology in the bank, every subject area below. You get 10 free samples to taste the quality.

cataract4chambers21corneal conditions9infectious conditions36trauma17

5 subject areas · 87 questions in the full bank · 10 free samples shown

Sample questions

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1

Question 1

cataract

Answer

A 68-year-old woman with a long-standing history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and essential hypertension presents for a follow-up visit. She reports a progressive decline in her vision over the past several years, specifically noting increased difficulty with reading street signs and significant glare from headlights while driving at night. She describes the blurriness as a generalized haze, affecting both eyes, without any associated eye pain, sudden flashes of light, or new floaters. She has never experienced complete loss of vision in either eye. Her current medications include metformin and lisinopril, but she admits to inconsistent adherence. She is a former smoker but occasionally enjoys an alcoholic beverage. On examination, her vital signs include a blood pressure of 178/105 mmHg, pulse 72/min, respirations 14/min, and oxygen saturation 99% on room air. Visual acuity is 20/100 in the right eye and 20/100 in the left eye, uncorrected. Extraocular movements are full, and pupils are equally reactive to light without an afferent pupillary defect. Funduscopic examination is challenging due to media opacities but reveals no gross signs of proliferative retinopathy. Slit-lamp examination reveals bilateral opacification of the crystalline lens, particularly dense in the central and posterior subcapsular regions. Conjunctivae are clear, and corneas are transparent. Intraocular pressure is 16 mmHg in both eyes. Considering her presentation and findings, what is the most likely diagnosis and the initial management strategy?

Laboratory Results

ParameterValueReference Range
Hemoglobin A1c8.5%< 6.5%
Fasting Glucose8.9 mmol/L3.9-5.6 mmol/L
Serum Creatinine98 µmol/L44-97 µmol/L
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2

Question 2

chambers · glaucoma

Answer

A 45-year-old woman presents to an urgent care clinic after a day working in her garden. She reports sudden onset of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramping followed by profuse sweating and difficulty breathing. Her husband states she became disoriented shortly after. On initial assessment, she is disoriented to time, has a blood pressure of 130/70 mmHg, a heart rate of 50 beats/min, respiratory rate of 8 breaths/min, and a temperature of 36.8°C. Her pupils are pinpoint bilaterally, and there is increased salivation and lacrimation. Initial treatment is administered to address her acute cholinergic symptoms. Approximately 45 minutes after treatment, she develops severe unilateral eye pain, headache, and reports a sudden decrease in vision in that eye. Physical examination reveals a mid-dilated, non-reactive pupil and significant conjunctival injection in the affected eye, along with a firm globe on palpation. Findings from the eye examination are shown in Figure A. What is the most likely diagnosis for her new ocular symptoms and the immediate therapeutic intervention?

Laboratory Results

ParameterValueReference Range
White Blood Cell Count9.2 x 10^9/L4.0-11.0 x 10^9/L
Hemoglobin138 g/L120-160 g/L
Platelet Count250 x 10^9/L150-450 x 10^9/L
Sodium139 mmol/L135-145 mmol/L
Potassium4.1 mmol/L3.5-5.0 mmol/L
Blood Glucose5.5 mmol/L3.9-6.1 mmol/L
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3

Question 3

corneal conditions · photokeratitis

Answer

A 28-year-old female presents to an urgent care facility late in the morning, reporting severe, bilateral eye pain, significant redness, and copious tearing that abruptly awakened her from sleep approximately an hour ago. She describes the sensation as "sand in my eyes" and finds any light extremely irritating. Her past medical history is unremarkable. On examination, her visual acuity is noted to be mildly decreased bilaterally, and slit-lamp examination after fluorescein instillation reveals widespread, diffuse punctate corneal epithelial erosions. Her pupils are equal, round, and reactive to light, and intraocular pressures are within normal limits. Considering these clinical findings, what is the most appropriate initial management strategy, and what specific historical information would most definitively establish the underlying diagnosis?

Laboratory Results

ParameterValueReference Range
White Blood Cell Count (WBC)8.5 x 10^9/L4.0-11.0 x 10^9/L
C-reactive protein (CRP)2.0 mg/L<5.0 mg/L
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4

Question 4

infectious conditions · endophthalmitis

Answer

A 55-year-old woman presents to her primary care provider's office complaining of severe right eye pain and rapidly deteriorating vision over the past 36 hours. She reports a history of uncomplicated cataract extraction in the affected eye approximately 10 days prior. Her medical history includes well-controlled rheumatoid arthritis managed with low-dose methotrexate and latent tuberculosis, for which she completed prophylaxis years ago. She denies any recent trauma or contact lens use. On examination, her temperature is 38.3°C, blood pressure is 130/80 mmHg, pulse is 92/min, and respirations are 16/min. Visual acuity in the right eye is count fingers at 1 meter, while the left eye is 20/25. Slit-lamp examination of the right eye reveals significant conjunctival injection, corneal edema, and a prominent layering of white cells in the anterior chamber (hypopyon), as depicted in the provided image. Pupillary reflex is sluggish, and there is no red reflex. Given the clinical presentation, which of the following is the most likely diagnosis and the most appropriate initial management strategy?

Laboratory Results

ParameterValueReference Range
White Blood Cell (WBC)12.5 x 10^9/L4.0-10.0 x 10^9/L
C-reactive protein (CRP)75 mg/L<5 mg/L
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5

Question 5

trauma · common eye injuries

Answer

A 28-year-old woman presents to an urgent care facility with acute, sharp pain in her left eye, which started suddenly an hour ago. She reports a sensation of something flying into her eye while she was gardening and clearing dense brush. The pain is exacerbated significantly by blinking and is accompanied by bothersome tearing and mild sensitivity to light. She is a long-term wearer of soft contact lenses and has a history of recurrent oral herpes simplex lesions. Her temperature is 36.6°C, blood pressure is 118/78 mmHg, pulse is 72/min, respirations are 16/min, and oxygen saturation is 99% on room air. On examination, there is noticeable conjunctival injection and mild eyelid edema in the affected eye. A fluorescein stain of the left eye reveals a distinct, linear area of dye uptake. Based on these findings, what is the most likely diagnosis and the most appropriate initial management strategy for this patient?

Laboratory Results

ParameterValueReference Range
White Blood Cell Count9.5 x 10^9/L4.0-11.0 x 10^9/L
C-reactive protein (CRP)2.0 mg/L<5.0 mg/L
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6

Question 6

cataract

Answer

A 72-year-old retired man presents to his general medical practitioner complaining of a gradual decline in his visual acuity over the past three years. He describes his vision as increasingly cloudy, making it difficult to read and to recognize familiar faces from a distance. He finds night driving particularly challenging due to significant starbursts around oncoming headlights and severe glare. His medical history includes well-controlled hypertension and pre-diabetes. On ocular examination, his pupils are equally reactive to light, extraocular movements are full, and confrontation visual fields are constricted peripherally. Fundoscopy is difficult to perform due to an observable haziness behind the pupil, and a red reflex is notably absent bilaterally. His latest HbA1c result is 6.8%. Given these findings, what is the most likely diagnosis and the appropriate initial management strategy?

Laboratory Results

ParameterValueReference Range
HbA1c6.8%<5.7%

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7

Question 7

chambers · glaucoma

Answer

A 58-year-old man presents to an urgent care clinic late in the evening complaining of an excruciating headache and severe eye pain. He reports that the symptoms started abruptly a few hours ago while he was reading in a dimly lit room, causing him to experience blurred vision and see halos around lights in his left eye. He also reports nausea and has vomited once. His past medical history includes hyperlipidemia and benign prostatic hyperplasia for which he takes tamsulosin. On examination, his blood pressure is 162/110 mm Hg, heart rate is 105/min, respiratory rate is 22/min, and temperature is 37.5°C. The left eye is injected and feels firm to palpation. The cornea appears hazy, and the pupil is fixed in a mid-dilated position, non-reactive to light. Visual acuity in the left eye is significantly reduced (hand motion only), while the right eye is unremarkable. Given the patient's presentation and these findings, what is the most likely diagnosis and the most critical immediate pharmacologic intervention?

Laboratory Results

ParameterValueReference Range
Intraocular Pressure (Left Eye)55 mmHg10-21 mmHg
White Blood Cell Count (WBC)10.5 x 10^9/L4.0-11.0 x 10^9/L
Sodium139 mmol/L135-145 mmol/L
Potassium4.1 mmol/L3.5-5.0 mmol/L
Glucose6.9 mmol/L3.9-5.6 mmol/L fasting (or 70-100 mg/dL)
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8

Question 8

corneal conditions · pterygium

Answer

A 55-year-old female presents to an outpatient clinic complaining of a growth on her eye that has been present for several years. She reports a recent increase in irritation, foreign body sensation, and occasional blurring of vision, particularly when reading. She mentions spending most of her adult life working outdoors in a sunny, tropical climate. On examination, a fleshy, triangular growth is noted encroaching 2 mm onto the cornea from the nasal limbus of her right eye, associated with mild conjunctival hyperemia. Her visual acuity is 20/40 in the affected eye, improving slightly with blinking. Considering the most likely diagnosis, what would be the initial management approach and potential long-term complications?

Laboratory Results

ParameterValueReference Range
White Blood Cell (WBC) count7.5 x 10^9/L4.0-11.0 x 10^9/L
Hemoglobin138 g/L120-160 g/L
Platelets250 x 10^9/L150-450 x 10^9/L
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9

Question 9

infectious conditions · herpes zoster

Answer

A 68-year-old woman, with a history of well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension, presents to an outpatient clinic complaining of a burning sensation and paresthesias on her left forehead for the past two days, followed by the sudden appearance of a painful, vesicular rash in the same region this morning. She describes the pain as severe and sharp, making it difficult to sleep. She denies any recent trauma or contact with irritants. On examination, a cluster of erythematous vesicles and papules is noted on her left forehead, extending to the upper eyelid and the tip of her nose, clearly respecting the midline. There is also mild periorbital edema and conjunctival injection. Her visual acuity is 20/30 in the affected eye and 20/20 in the right eye. There is no proptosis or limitation of extraocular movements. What is the most likely diagnosis and the most appropriate initial management strategy, considering the potential for ocular complications?

Laboratory Results

ParameterValueReference Range
White Blood Cell Count8.5 x 10^9/L4.0-11.0 x 10^9/L
C-reactive protein7 mg/L< 5 mg/L
Glucose (Random)6.8 mmol/L< 7.8 mmol/L
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10

Question 10

trauma · common eye injuries

Answer

A 35-year-old female presents to an urgent care center after an accidental fall, hitting her eye on a sharp edge of furniture. She reports immediate onset of severe orbital pain, progressive blurry vision, and a sensation of pressure behind her left eye. She denies any prior eye conditions or significant medical history. Her temperature is 36.8°C, blood pressure is 130/80 mmHg, pulse is 98/min, respirations are 16/min, and oxygen saturation is 99% on room air. Upon examination, a noticeable proptosis of the left eye is present along with significant periorbital ecchymosis and conjunctival chemosis. Visual acuity is 20/20 in her right eye and rapidly declining to 20/60 in the left. The left pupil is mid-dilated and minimally reactive to light. Intraocular pressure in the left eye is measured at 52 mmHg via tonometry. Ophthalmoscopy reveals a pale optic disc in the affected eye. Based on these findings, what is the most likely diagnosis and the immediate, critical management step required to preserve vision?

Laboratory Results

ParameterValueReference Range
White Blood Cell (WBC) count11.2 x 10^9/L4.0-10.0 x 10^9/L
Sodium139 mmol/L135-145 mmol/L
Potassium4.0 mmol/L3.5-5.0 mmol/L
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