A patient with abrupt vision loss and an afferent pupillary defect could be suffering from which diagnosis?

A patient with abrupt vision loss and an afferent pupillary defect could be suffering from which diagnosis?

• A. Ocular Migraines
• B. Optic Neuritis
• C. Hyphema
• D. Corneal Ulcer

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that an afferent pupillary defect means the optic nerve or retinal input from that eye is impaired, so light stimulation produces a weaker signal to the brain. When vision loss is abrupt, optic neuritis is the classic scenario because it directly injures the optic nerve, causing sudden unilateral vision loss along with a prominent afferent defect on that side. The other conditions don’t typically produce a sudden loss with an abnormal afferent response: ocular migraines cause transient visual phenomena rather than a lasting APD; hyphema reduces vision from bleeding in the front of the eye without injuring the optic pathway; a corneal ulcer mainly causes pain and surface irritation with the afferent pathway intact.

The main idea is that an afferent pupillary defect means the optic nerve or retinal input from that eye is impaired, so light stimulation produces a weaker signal to the brain. When vision loss is abrupt, optic neuritis is the classic scenario because it directly injures the optic nerve, causing sudden unilateral vision loss along with a prominent afferent defect on that side. The other conditions don’t typically produce a sudden loss with an abnormal afferent response: ocular migraines cause transient visual phenomena rather than a lasting APD; hyphema reduces vision from bleeding in the front of the eye without injuring the optic pathway; a corneal ulcer mainly causes pain and surface irritation with the afferent pathway intact.