Retina: 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 · Retina

Sample item

A 16-year-old boy has poor vision in dim light since childhood and gradually narrowing visual fields. Fundus shows bone-spicule pigmentation in the mid-periphery, attenuated retinal arterioles and a waxy pale disc. Which investigation best demonstrates the functional defect?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Electroretinogram

This is retinitis pigmentosa, a rod-cone dystrophy in which rods are lost first, causing night blindness and ring scotomas. The electroretinogram is markedly reduced or extinguished early, often before fundus changes are obvious.

Option by option

  • A. Visual evoked potential

    VEP tests the visual pathway and does not specifically show the photoreceptor defect.

  • B. Amsler grid testing

    The Amsler grid detects central distortion in macular disease rather than diffuse photoreceptor dysfunction.

  • C. Electroretinogram (correct)

    It records the retinal photoreceptor response and shows the early, marked loss in rod-cone dystrophy.

  • D. B-scan ultrasonography

    B-scan shows structural lesions behind opaque media, not photoreceptor function.

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 C, Electroretinogram. This is retinitis pigmentosa, a rod-cone dystrophy in which rods are lost first, causing night blindness and ring scotomas.

Why is "Visual evoked potential" not the answer?

VEP tests the visual pathway and does not specifically show the photoreceptor defect.

Why is "Amsler grid testing" not the answer?

The Amsler grid detects central distortion in macular disease rather than diffuse photoreceptor dysfunction.

Why is "B-scan ultrasonography" not the answer?

B-scan shows structural lesions behind opaque media, not photoreceptor function.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Retina in Ophthalmology. The electroretinogram is markedly reduced or extinguished early, often before fundus changes are obvious.

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?

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.