American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the American Board of Family Medicine Exam. Study using flashcards and multiple choice questions with comprehensive explanations. Ensure your success!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


What finding on funduscopic examination would suggest retinal vein occlusion as the cause of sudden vision loss?

  1. Afferent pupillary defect in the contralateral eye

  2. Right eye redness

  3. Tortuous retinal veins

  4. Macular drusen

The correct answer is: Tortuous retinal veins

The identification of tortuous retinal veins during funduscopic examination is a key finding associated with retinal vein occlusion. In this condition, there is an obstruction in one of the retinal veins, which leads to increased pressure within the vein and subsequent alterations in the retinal vasculature. This results in a characteristic swelling and tortuosity of the retinal veins, making them appear twisted or convoluted. As the occlusion progresses, you may also observe additional signs such as retinal hemorrhages, cotton wool spots, and sometimes venous engorgement. These findings correlate with sudden vision loss, often experienced by patients due to the disruption in normal blood flow and subsequent effects on the retina. Other options present findings that do not specifically indicate retinal vein occlusion. For example, an afferent pupillary defect in the contralateral eye is more indicative of a significant retinal or optic nerve issue on the affected side but does not directly suggest a retinal vein occlusion. Redness in the eye (right eye redness) might indicate other conditions such as conjunctivitis or uveitis, which are not specific to vein occlusion. Lastly, macular drusen are commonly associated with age-related macular degeneration rather than retinal vein occlusion. Thus, recognizing