Question

A 61-year-old university professor presents with a loss of vision in his left eye. He describes the sensation as a curtain being drawn over his affected eye. In addition, 7 days ago the patient noticed what he described as flashing lights and floaters. He gives a history of having cataract surgery in the same eye 3 weeks ago. A B-scan image of his left eye is shown below. What could his condition be?

• A. Glaucoma
• B. Retinal tumor
• C. Retinal detachment
• D. Corneal ulcer

Hint:

Retinal detachment is a medical emergency. Immediate referral to an ophthalmologist is necessary to prevent permanent vision loss. Treatment often involves surgery to reattach the retina.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Glaucoma: Glaucoma typically presents with gradual loss of peripheral vision and elevated intraocular pressure. The symptoms described (flashing lights, floaters, curtain-like vision loss) are not characteristic of glaucoma.
Retinal tumor: Retinal tumors, such as retinoblastoma or choroidal melanoma, can lead to vision loss, but they typically do not present with the sudden onset of flashing lights and floaters, nor do they cause a curtain-like sensation in the visual field.
Retinal detachment: This is the correct diagnosis. Retinal detachment occurs when the retina separates from the underlying layer of support tissue. This can lead to symptoms such as flashing lights, floaters, and a curtain-like vision loss as described by the patient. The history of recent cataract surgery is a known risk factor for retinal detachment. The B-scan ultrasound image likely shows evidence of retinal detachment.
Corneal ulcer: A corneal ulcer would present with symptoms like eye redness, pain, tearing, and blurred vision, but it does not cause the "curtain-like" visual field loss described in this case. Thus, the correct answer is Retinal detachment (3), as it fits both the clinical history and the symptoms described.