Cornea: practice question

A Ophthalmology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Ophthalmology · Cornea

Sample item

A farmer hit his eye with a paddy straw a week ago. He now has a dense, dry-looking, greyish-white corneal infiltrate with feathery edges, satellite lesions and a hypopyon. Which drug is the first-line topical treatment?

AAcyclovir 3 percent ointmentBPrednisolone acetate 1 percentCNatamycin 5 percentDMoxifloxacin 0.5 percent

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Natamycin 5 percent

Corneal injury with vegetable matter and a dry, raised infiltrate with feathery margins, satellite lesions and hypopyon suggest fungal keratitis, commonly caused by Fusarium or Aspergillus. Natamycin 5 percent is the first-line topical antifungal, particularly for filamentous fungi.

Option by option

A. Acyclovir 3 percent ointment
Acyclovir is for herpetic keratitis.
B. Prednisolone acetate 1 percent
A steroid would worsen a fungal infection.
C. Natamycin 5 percent (correct)
Correct. Natamycin is the first-line agent for filamentous fungal keratitis.
D. Moxifloxacin 0.5 percent
A fluoroquinolone treats bacterial keratitis and does not cover fungi.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Ophthalmology question

What is the answer to this Ophthalmology question?

The best answer is C, Natamycin 5 percent. Corneal injury with vegetable matter and a dry, raised infiltrate with feathery margins, satellite lesions and hypopyon suggest fungal keratitis, commonly caused by Fusarium or Aspergillus.

Why is "Acyclovir 3 percent ointment" not the answer?

Acyclovir is for herpetic keratitis.

Why is "Prednisolone acetate 1 percent" not the answer?

A steroid would worsen a fungal infection.

Why is "Moxifloxacin 0.5 percent" not the answer?

A fluoroquinolone treats bacterial keratitis and does not cover fungi.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Cornea in Ophthalmology. Natamycin 5 percent is the first-line topical antifungal, particularly for filamentous fungi.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Cornea?

Group the red eye by what to examine and what the pupil does. Then use the flashcards and the other Ophthalmology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.