Certified Ophthalmic Assistant Practice Exam

If a patient has unequal light information transmitted to the brain from each eye, they may have what condition?

1. Retinal detachment

2. Afferent pupillary defect or Marcus gun pupil

3. Strabismus

4. Glaucoma

The correct answer is: Afferent pupillary defect or Marcus gun pupil

The condition described is accurately represented by the term "Afferent pupillary defect" or "Marcus Gunn pupil." When there is unequal light information transmitted to the brain from each eye, it suggests a defect in the sensory pathways of either or both eyes, which can occur in cases of optic nerve damage or severe retinal disease. In this scenario, when light is shone in the affected eye, the pupillary response is diminished compared to the unaffected eye, leading to the characteristic relative afferent pupillary defect. This neurological response is assessed through the light reflex test. The other options present distinct conditions: retinal detachment primarily involves a physical separation in the layers of the retina leading to vision loss but does not specifically correlate to unequal light transmission; strabismus refers to a misalignment of the eyes and affects binocular vision rather than light information perception; and glaucoma typically results in increased intraocular pressure and can cause peripheral vision loss but does not directly lead to unequal sensory transmission from the eyes. Therefore, option B accurately identifies the condition associated with unequal light information transmitted to the brain.