Head and neck: central retinal artery: practice question

A Anatomy 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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Anatomy · Head and neck: central retinal artery

Sample item

A 65-year-old man suddenly loses vision in one eye without pain. The fundus shows a pale retina with a cherry-red macula. The artery responsible for the inner retinal blood supply arises from which parent vessel?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Ophthalmic artery

The central retinal artery is a branch of the ophthalmic artery, itself a branch of the internal carotid artery. It enters the optic nerve and supplies the inner layers of the retina. It is an end artery without effective collaterals, so occlusion causes sudden painless blindness.

Option by option

  • A. Ophthalmic artery (correct)

    Correct. The central retinal artery arises from the ophthalmic artery.

  • B. Maxillary artery

    The maxillary artery lies in the infratemporal and pterygopalatine fossae.

  • C. Posterior cerebral artery

    The posterior cerebral artery supplies the occipital cortex, not the retina.

  • D. Facial artery

    The facial artery supplies the face and its angular branch anastomoses with orbital vessels, but it is not the parent of the central retinal artery.

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.

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Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is A, Ophthalmic artery. The central retinal artery is a branch of the ophthalmic artery, itself a branch of the internal carotid artery.

Why is "Maxillary artery" not the answer?

The maxillary artery lies in the infratemporal and pterygopalatine fossae.

Why is "Posterior cerebral artery" not the answer?

The posterior cerebral artery supplies the occipital cortex, not the retina.

Why is "Facial artery" not the answer?

The facial artery supplies the face and its angular branch anastomoses with orbital vessels, but it is not the parent of the central retinal artery.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Head and neck: central retinal artery in Anatomy. It enters the optic nerve and supplies the inner layers of the retina. It is an end artery without effective collaterals, so occlusion causes sudden painless blindness.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. 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 Head and neck: central retinal artery?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy 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.