A 65-Year-Old Man Comes to the Emergency Department Due to Sudden-Onset

question 1256

Multiple Choice

A 65-year-old man comes to the emergency department due to sudden-onset painless vision loss in the right eye that began several hours ago.  The patient says, "It was like a shade dropping over my eye."  He had a similar episode 3 months ago that resolved spontaneously after several minutes.  He has never seen flashing lights or floaters in his eyes.  The patient's medical history includes hypertension and hyperlipidemia.  Temperature is 37.1 C (98.8 F) , blood pressure is 150/90 mm Hg, pulse is 72/min and regular, and respirations are 14/min.  Visual acuity is 20/20 on the left and 20/200 on the right.  Funduscopy findings of the right eye are shown below. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?

• A)Arterial embolic occlusion
• B)Malignant hypertension
• C)Retinal detachment
• D)Venous thrombotic occlusion
• E)Vitreous hemorrhage

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Definitions:

Sensory Adaptation

A neurological phenomenon by which individuals become less sensitive to unchanging environmental stimuli over time.

Neural Impulses

Electrical signals that travel along neurons, facilitating communication within the brain and between the brain and the body.

Unchanging Stimulus

A stimulus that remains constant and does not vary in its presentation, often used in psychological experiments to measure baseline responses.

Just Noticeable Difference

The minimum amount by which stimulus intensity must be changed in order to produce a noticeable variation in sensory experience.