Glaucoma Practice Questions

Q: Haab's striae are seen in which of the following conditions?

Buphthalmos. **Explanation:** **Haab’s striae** are horizontal or curvilinear breaks in the **Descemet’s membrane** caused by sudden stretching of the cornea due to increased intraocular pressure (IOP). 1. **Why Buphthalmos is correct:** Buphthalmos (Congenital Glaucoma) occurs when elevated IOP causes the infant’s elastic sclera and cornea to enlarge. As the cornea stretches, the rigid Descemet’s membrane cannot keep pace and ruptures, resulting in Haab’s striae. These are typically **horizontal** (when central) or **concentric** with the limbus (when peripheral). 2. **Why other options are incorrect:** * **Keratoglobus:** Characterized by generalized thinning and protrusion of the entire cornea, but it does not typically present with Haab’s striae. * **Trachoma:** Leads to Arlt’s line (conjunctival scarring) and Herbert’s pits (limbal scarring), not Descemet’s breaks. * **Keratoconus:** Features **Vogt’s striae**, which are fine, **vertical** stress lines in the deep stroma/Descemet’s membrane that disappear upon applying pressure to the globe. **High-Yield Clinical Pearls for NEET-PG:** * **Haab’s Striae vs. Vogt’s Striae:** Remember **H**aab’s are **H**orizontal (Buphthalmos); **V**ogt’s are **V**ertical (Keratoconus). * **Triad of Congenital Glaucoma:** Photophobia, Blepharospasm, and Lacrimation (Epiphora). * **Corneal Diameter:** In Buphthalmos, the diameter is usually >12 mm before age 1. * **Management:** The primary treatment for Buphthalmos is surgical (Goniotomy or Trabeculotomy).

Q: In angle closure glaucoma, what mainly causes obstruction to the outflow of aqueous humor?

Iris. ### Explanation In **Angle Closure Glaucoma (ACG)**, the fundamental pathology is a mechanical obstruction of the drainage angle by the **peripheral iris**. **Why Iris is the Correct Answer:** The primary mechanism involves the iris being pushed or pulled against the trabecular meshwork. In most cases, this is triggered by **pupillary block**, where resistance to aqueous flow from the posterior to the anterior chamber increases pressure behind the iris. This causes the iris to bow forward (**iris bombé**), physically apposing the peripheral iris to the cornea and blocking access to the drainage structures. Therefore, the iris acts as the "door" that closes the "drain." **Why Other Options are Incorrect:** * **Trabecular Meshwork (B):** While this is the site of resistance in *Open Angle Glaucoma (OAG)* due to microscopic degenerative changes, in ACG, the meshwork itself is often healthy but becomes inaccessible because the iris covers it. * **Canal of Schlemm (A) and Scleral Venous Plexus (D):** These are distal components of the outflow pathway. They do not cause the primary obstruction in ACG; they are simply deprived of aqueous because the fluid cannot reach them. **High-Yield Clinical Pearls for NEET-PG:** * **Risk Factors:** Hypermetropia (small eyes), shallow anterior chambers, and increasing age (thickening lens). * **Classic Presentation:** Sudden onset of severe pain, "halos" around lights (due to corneal edema), and a mid-dilated, vertically oval, non-reactive pupil. * **Gold Standard Diagnosis:** **Gonioscopy** is essential to visualize the angle and differentiate between open and closed-angle mechanisms. * **Definitive Treatment:** **Laser Peripheral Iridotomy (LPI)**, which bypasses the pupillary block by creating a hole in the iris.

Q: All of the following causes coloured halos except?

Retinal degeneration. **Explanation:** The phenomenon of **coloured halos** (rainbow-like rings around lights) is primarily caused by the **diffraction of light** as it passes through a hazy or irregular medium in the eye. **Why Retinal Degeneration is the Correct Answer:** Retinal degeneration involves the loss of photoreceptors or atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium. Since the pathology is located at the **neurosensory level (the "film" of the camera)** and not in the transparent media, it does not cause diffraction. Therefore, it does not produce coloured halos. **Analysis of Incorrect Options:** * **Corneal Edema (Option A):** This is the most common cause (e.g., in Acute Congestive Glaucoma). Fluid accumulation in the corneal epithelium and stroma acts like a diffraction grating, splitting white light into its spectral colors. * **Foreign Body (Option C):** A foreign body on the cornea or within the precorneal tear film disrupts the smooth refractive surface, leading to light scattering and halo formation. * **Steroids (Option D):** Prolonged steroid use is a known risk factor for **Steroid-induced Glaucoma** (causing corneal edema) and **Posterior Subcapsular Cataract**. Both conditions cause light diffraction and subsequent halos. **NEET-PG High-Yield Pearls:** 1. **Fincham’s Test:** Used to differentiate halos of Glaucoma from Cataract. When a stenopaeic slit is moved across the pupil, **glaucomatous halos remain intact**, whereas **cataractous halos break into segments**. 2. **Differential Diagnosis of Halos:** * **Glaucoma:** Due to corneal edema (High IOP). * **Cataract:** Due to irregular refractive indices in the lens. * **Mucus on Cornea:** Halos disappear after blinking or washing the eye. 3. **Order of Colors:** In diffraction halos (like Glaucoma), **blue is innermost** and **red is outermost**.

Q: Glaucoma is caused by?

Raised intraocular pressure. **Explanation:** **Glaucoma** is a group of eye conditions characterized by progressive optic neuropathy, where the primary risk factor and causative agent is **raised intraocular pressure (IOP)**. The elevated pressure (typically >21 mmHg) causes mechanical compression and ischemic damage to the retinal ganglion cells and the optic nerve head, leading to characteristic optic disc cupping and visual field defects. **Analysis of Options:** * **A. Raised Intraocular Pressure (Correct):** This is the hallmark of glaucoma. It usually results from an imbalance between the production of aqueous humor by the ciliary body and its drainage through the trabecular meshwork or uveoscleral pathway. * **B. Raised Intracranial Pressure:** This leads to **Papilledema** (bilateral optic disc swelling), not glaucoma. While both involve the optic nerve, the mechanism and clinical presentation are distinct. * **C. Intraocular Infection:** This typically results in **Endophthalmitis** or **Uveitis**. While secondary glaucoma can occur *due* to inflammation (e.g., inflammatory cells clogging the trabecular meshwork), infection itself is not the definition or primary cause of glaucoma. * **D. Orbital Mass:** This may cause **Proptosis** (bulging of the eye) or compressive optic neuropathy, but it is not the causative mechanism for glaucoma. **High-Yield Clinical Pearls for NEET-PG:** * **Normal IOP:** 10–21 mmHg (measured via Goldmann Applanation Tonometry, the gold standard). * **The "Triad" of Glaucoma:** Raised IOP, Optic disc cupping, and Visual field defects (e.g., Bjerrum’s scotoma). * **Normal Tension Glaucoma (NTG):** A variant where glaucomatous damage occurs despite IOP being within the statistically normal range. * **Drug of Choice:** Prostaglandin analogues (e.g., Latanoprost) are the first-line medical treatment for Open-Angle Glaucoma.

Q: The image shows findings diagnostic of glaucoma: Cupping of disc, Double angulation of blood vessels (visible in middle), one in steep wall of excavation and second in floor of the cup. Nasal shifting of vessels. Thinning of neural rim on temporal side.

Glaucoma. ***Glaucoma (Correct Answer)*** - The image shows **characteristic findings of glaucomatous optic neuropathy**: significant **cupping of the optic disc** due to retinal ganglion cell loss - **Double angulation of blood vessels** (bayoneting sign) - vessels bend acutely over the steep wall of the cup and again at the floor - **Nasal shifting of vessels** - blood vessels appear to hug the nasal side as the cup expands temporally - **Thinning of the neural rim on temporal side** - violation of ISNT rule (Inferior > Superior > Nasal > Temporal rim thickness in normal discs) - These features together are **pathognomonic for glaucoma** *Optic Atrophy (Incorrect)* - Shows **disc pallor** as the primary feature with loss of pink color - May have cupping but lacks the **characteristic double angulation** and **nasal shifting of vessels** seen in glaucoma - Typically caused by chronic optic nerve damage from various etiologies (ischemia, compression, inflammation) *Physiological Cupping (Incorrect)* - Large cup-to-disc ratio (>0.3) present since birth without pathology - Cup remains **symmetric and uniform** without preferential temporal or vertical rim thinning - No progressive enlargement on follow-up and **normal visual fields** - Lacks the **double angulation, nasal displacement**, and asymmetric rim loss characteristic of glaucomatous cupping *Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (Incorrect)* - Presents acutely with **disc edema** initially (swollen, hyperemic disc) - Later shows **diffuse pallor** rather than excavation/cupping - Typically has **altitudinal visual field defects** rather than the arcuate defects of glaucoma - Does not demonstrate the **progressive cupping with vessel changes** seen in chronic glaucoma

Q: The image shows a funnel shaped anterior chamber (deeper in the center and narrow in the periphery), which is seen in angle closure glaucoma. This is caused by:

Iris bombe. ***Iris bombe*** - **Iris bombe** occurs when there is a 360-degree adhesion between the iris and the lens (or anterior vitreous in aphakic/pseudophakic eyes), preventing aqueous humor from flowing from the posterior chamber to the anterior chamber. - This build-up of aqueous humor in the posterior chamber pushes the entire iris anteriorly, creating a **funnel-shaped anterior chamber** that is deeper centrally and shallow peripherally, leading to angle closure. *Anterior synechiae* - **Anterior synechiae** are adhesions between the iris and the cornea or trabecular meshwork, directly closing the angle. - While they cause **angle closure**, they are a consequence of the iris being pushed forward rather than the primary cause of the iris bowing shown. *Posterior synechiae* - **Posterior synechiae** are adhesions between the iris and the lens, specifically at the pupillary margin. - When these adhesions are 360 degrees, they precisely lead to **iris bombe** by blocking aqueous flow from the posterior to the anterior chamber. *Pupillary block* - **Pupillary block** is the mechanism by which aqueous flow is obstructed at the pupil. - It describes the functional blockage and is the underlying cause for the anatomical manifestation of **iris bombe**.

Q: A patient with cataract presents with pain and redness of eye. On examination he had deep anterior chamber. What is the diagnosis?

Acute phacolytic glaucoma. ***Acute phacolytic glaucoma*** - This condition occurs when **lens proteins leak** from a mature or hypermature cataract into the aqueous humor, causing an inflammatory reaction and **trabecular meshwork obstruction**, leading to elevated intraocular pressure. - The presence of a **deep anterior chamber** distinguishes it from phacomorphic glaucoma, which is characterized by a shallow anterior chamber due to lens intumescence. *Acute angle closure glaucoma* - This typically presents with a **shallow anterior chamber** as the iris bows forward, blocking the trabecular meshwork. - While it causes pain and redness, the deep anterior chamber described in the patient makes this diagnosis unlikely. *Acute neovascular glaucoma* - This type of glaucoma results from the formation of **new blood vessels** on the iris and in the angle of the anterior chamber, often due to conditions like **diabetic retinopathy** or **retinal vein occlusion**. - There is no mention of such predisposing factors or visible neovascularization in the patient's presentation. *Acute phacomorphic glaucoma* - This condition is caused by the **intumescence (swelling) of a cataractous lens**, which pushes the iris forward, leading to a **shallow anterior chamber** and angle closure. - The patient's presentation of a **deep anterior chamber** rules out phacomorphic glaucoma.

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a function of aqueous humor?

Accepted Answer

Providing nutrition to the lens and cornea

Answer

Maintenance of intraocular pressure

Answer

Maintaining the transparency of the cornea

Answer

Drainage of metabolic byproducts

Question 2

Haab's striae are seen in which of the following conditions?

Accepted Answer

Buphthalmos

Answer

Keratoglobus

Answer

Trachoma

Answer

Keratoconus

Question 3

Malignant glaucoma is characterized by which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Misdirected aqueous flow

Answer

Anterior chamber is normal

Answer

Pilocarpine is the drug of choice

Answer

Management is medical only

Question 4

In angle closure glaucoma, what mainly causes obstruction to the outflow of aqueous humor?

Accepted Answer

Iris

Answer

Canal of Schlemm

Answer

Trabecular meshwork

Answer

Scleral venous plexus

Question 5

All of the following causes coloured halos except?

Accepted Answer

Retinal degeneration

Answer

Corneal edema

Answer

Foreign body

Answer

Steroids

Question 6

Glaucoma is caused by?

Accepted Answer

Raised intraocular pressure

Answer

Raised intracranial pressure

Answer

Intraocular infection

Answer

Orbital mass

Question 7

An elderly female presents with sudden onset of pain, redness, and decreased vision. On examination, hazy cornea, fixed mid-dilated pupil, and shallow anterior chamber are noted. What is the diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Acute congestive glaucoma

Answer

Central retinal artery occlusion

Answer

Acute conjunctivitis

Answer

Acute uveitis

Question 8

The image shows findings diagnostic of glaucoma: Cupping of disc, Double angulation of blood vessels (visible in middle), one in steep wall of excavation and second in floor of the cup. Nasal shifting of vessels. Thinning of neural rim on temporal side.

Accepted Answer

Glaucoma

Answer

Optic atrophy

Answer

Physiological cupping

Answer

Ischemic optic neuropathy

Question 9

The image shows a funnel shaped anterior chamber (deeper in the center and narrow in the periphery), which is seen in angle closure glaucoma. This is caused by:

Accepted Answer

Iris bombe

Answer

Anterior synechiae

Answer

Posterior synechiae

Answer

Pupillary block

Question 10

A patient with cataract presents with pain and redness of eye. On examination he had deep anterior chamber. What is the diagnosis?

Accepted Answer

Acute phacolytic glaucoma

Answer

Acute angle closure glaucoma

Answer

Acute neovascular glaucoma

Answer

Acute phacomorphic glaucoma

Glaucoma — MCQs

Glaucoma — MCQs

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