Station 15 — Retinal Lesions and Retinal Vascular Disease
Rapid Revision • Practical Skills • Viva
🎯 Candidate Task
Inspect the provided retinal photograph/fundus image systematically. Describe the important abnormalities, identify the most likely retinal or retinal vascular condition, and state the visual features that support your interpretation.
⚡ Model Station Answer
- I would inspect the optic disc, macula, retinal vessels and all visible retinal quadrants systematically.
- I would look specifically for haemorrhages, microaneurysms, hard exudates, cotton-wool spots, vascular calibre changes, venous tortuosity, retinal pallor and neovascularization.
- Diabetic retinopathy is suggested by microaneurysms, dot-blot haemorrhages and exudates; hypertensive retinopathy by arteriolar narrowing, AV nicking and flame haemorrhages.
- CRVO produces widespread retinal haemorrhages with dilated tortuous veins, whereas CRAO classically shows a pale retina with a cherry-red macular spot.
🔎 How to Perform / Approach
🖼️ Visual Learning
Comparison of Common Retinal Vascular Abnormalities

📝 Important Viva Questions
1. What is the earliest clinically visible lesion of diabetic retinopathy?
Answer: A retinal microaneurysm is the earliest clinically visible lesion.
2. What is the difference between a flame-shaped and a dot-blot retinal haemorrhage?
Answer: Flame haemorrhages lie superficially in the retinal nerve-fibre layer, whereas dot-blot haemorrhages occur in deeper retinal layers.
3. Which fundus finding is classically associated with central retinal artery occlusion?
Answer: A pale ischemic retina with a characteristic cherry-red spot at the fovea.
4. What are the characteristic fundus features of central retinal vein occlusion?
Answer: Dilated tortuous retinal veins with widespread retinal haemorrhages, often accompanied by disc oedema and cotton-wool spots.
5. Name two important vascular changes seen in hypertensive retinopathy.
Answer: Generalized arteriolar narrowing and arteriovenous crossing changes such as AV nicking are important findings.
