Ace the ABO Ophthalmology Challenge 2025 – See Your Future Shine!

Retinal ischemia occurs when there is insufficient blood flow to the retina, leading to a lack of oxygen and nutrients required for its normal function. This disruption can result in visual disturbances that are often characterized by distortion or alterations in how visual information is perceived. Patients may experience a range of symptoms that include blurriness, areas of visual loss, or even changes in the color perception. The integrity of the retinal layers and the photoreceptors can be compromised, leading to these distortions in vision.

The nature of retinal ischemia suggests that the structural and functional integrity of the retina is affected, which is why visual distortion is a common outcome. Changes in the retina can manifest as metamorphopsia, where straight lines appear wavy or curvilinear, particularly due to the involvement of the macula or retinal areas rich in photoreceptors.

In contrast, the options indicating improvement, no change, or enhanced night vision do not align with the physiological impacts of retinal ischemia, which predominantly leads to damaging effects on vision. Thus, the resulting visual disturbances are primarily characterized by distortion or alterations rather than improvements or stability.