Retina: von Hippel-Lindau retinal lesion: 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.

Try it

Ophthalmology · Retina: von Hippel-Lindau retinal lesion

Sample item

A 25-year-old has a round orange-red retinal tumour with dilated feeding vessels in the periphery. His father had a cerebellar tumour and renal cancer. Which additional lesion is characteristic of his disease?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Cerebellar haemangioblastoma

A retinal capillary haemangioblastoma with large feeding and draining vessels is a feature of von Hippel-Lindau disease. The same gene defect causes cerebellar and spinal haemangioblastomas, renal cell carcinoma and phaeochromocytoma. Early retinal lesions are treated with laser or cryotherapy.

Option by option

  • A. Port-wine stain of the face

    A port-wine stain with choroidal haemangioma belongs to Sturge-Weber syndrome.

  • B. Cutaneous neurofibromas

    Cutaneous neurofibromas belong to neurofibromatosis type 1.

  • C. Facial angiofibromas

    Facial angiofibromas belong to tuberous sclerosis.

  • D. Cerebellar haemangioblastoma (correct)

    Correct. Cerebellar haemangioblastoma accompanies the retinal tumours in von Hippel-Lindau disease.

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.

More Ophthalmology questions

Questions about this Ophthalmology question

What is the answer to this Ophthalmology question?

The best answer is D, Cerebellar haemangioblastoma. A retinal capillary haemangioblastoma with large feeding and draining vessels is a feature of von Hippel-Lindau disease.

Why is "Port-wine stain of the face" not the answer?

A port-wine stain with choroidal haemangioma belongs to Sturge-Weber syndrome.

Why is "Cutaneous neurofibromas" not the answer?

Cutaneous neurofibromas belong to neurofibromatosis type 1.

Why is "Facial angiofibromas" not the answer?

Facial angiofibromas belong to tuberous sclerosis.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Retina: von Hippel-Lindau retinal lesion in Ophthalmology. The same gene defect causes cerebellar and spinal haemangioblastomas, renal cell carcinoma and phaeochromocytoma. Early retinal lesions are treated with laser or cryotherapy.

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 Retina: von Hippel-Lindau retinal lesion?

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.