INI CET Ophthalmology Syllabus

Ophthalmology syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Ophthalmology in INI CET, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye

   2 topics

   • Anatomy of the eye
     • External structures (eyelids, conjunctiva, lacrimal apparatus)
     • Internal structures (cornea, iris, lens, retina)
   • Physiology of vision
     • Optics of the eye
     • Refraction
     • Accommodation
     • Visual pathways
2. 2

   Ophthalmic Examination and Investigations

   3 topics

   • Ophthalmic history taking
     • Chief complaint
     • Past medical history
     • Family history
     • Social history
   • Ophthalmic examination
     • Visual acuity assessment
     • Visual field testing
     • Slit-lamp examination
     • Dilated fundus examination
   • Ophthalmic investigations
     • Refraction
     • Tonometry
     • Gonioscopy
     • Ultrasound biomicroscopy
     • Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
     • Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA)
3. 3

   Refractive Errors

   4 topics

   • Myopia
     • Definition
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical features
     • Management
   • Hyperopia
     • Definition
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical features
     • Management
   • Astigmatism
     • Definition
     • Types
     • Clinical features
     • Management
   • Presbyopia
     • Age-related changes in accommodation
     • Clinical features
     • Management
4. 4

   Cataract and Lens Disorders

   3 topics

   • Age-related cataract
     • Types of cataracts
     • Clinical features
     • Management
   • Congenital cataract
     • Clinical features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Phakomatoses
     • Ocular manifestations of neurofibromatosis
     • Ocular manifestations of tuberous sclerosis
     • Ocular manifestations of Sturge-Weber syndrome
5. 5

   Glaucoma

   3 topics

   • Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG)
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Angle-closure glaucoma
     • Acute angle-closure crisis
     • Chronic angle-closure glaucoma
     • Management
   • Secondary glaucoma
     • Causes
     • Clinical features
     • Management
6. 6

   Retinal Disorders

   3 topics

   • Diabetic Retinopathy
     • Classification
     • Clinical Features
     • Management
   • Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
     • Dry AMD
     • Wet AMD
     • Clinical Features
     • Management
   • Retinal Detachment
     • Rhegmatogenous
     • Tractional
     • Exudative
     • Clinical Features
     • Management
7. 7

   Neuro-Ophthalmology

   3 topics

   • Optic neuropathies
     • Optic neuritis
     • Ischemic optic neuropathy
     • Compressive optic neuropathy
     • Toxic optic neuropathy
   • Cranial nerve palsies
     • Third nerve palsy
     • Fourth nerve palsy
     • Sixth nerve palsy
   • Neuro-ophthalmic syndromes
     • Papilledema
     • Pseudotumor cerebri
     • Horner syndrome
8. 8

   Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus

   3 topics

   • Amblyopia
     • Definition
     • Causes
     • Clinical Features
     • Management
   • Strabismus
     • Types of Strabismus
     • Clinical Features
     • Management
   • Congenital Anomalies of the Eye
     • Congenital Glaucoma
     • Congenital Cataract
     • Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)
9. 9

   External Eye Diseases and Ocular Surface Disorders

   3 topics

   • Conjunctivitis
     • Infectious conjunctivitis (bacterial, viral, chlamydial)
     • Allergic conjunctivitis
     • Chemical conjunctivitis
   • Dry eye syndrome
     • Pathophysiology
     • Clinical features
     • Management
   • Blepharitis
     • Anterior blepharitis
     • Posterior blepharitis
     • Management
10. 10

    Ocular Oncology and Orbital Disorders

    3 topics

    • Ocular tumors
      • Retinoblastoma
      • Uveal melanoma
      • Conjunctival tumors
    • Orbital tumors
      • Orbital cellulitis
      • Orbital pseudotumor
      • Orbital metastases
    • Thyroid eye disease (Graves' orbitopathy)
      • Clinical features
      • Diagnosis
      • Management

Ophthalmology flashcards for INI CET

20 of 50 cards from the Ophthalmology deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Name the three layers (tunics) of the eyeball from outer to inner.

   Outer fibrous coat (cornea + sclera), middle vascular coat/uvea (iris, ciliary body, choroid), and inner nervous coat (retina).

2. List the five layers of the cornea from anterior to posterior.

   Epithelium, Bowman's layer, stroma (substantia propria, ~90% of thickness), Descemet's membrane, and endothelium (single non-regenerating layer that maintains corneal deturgescence).

3. What are the layers of the tear film and which is the thickest?

   Three layers: outer lipid (from meibomian glands), middle aqueous (lacrimal gland) which is the thickest, and inner mucin (goblet cells) that wets the cornea.

4. What is the photopigment of rods and cones, and the role of each in vision?

   Rods contain rhodopsin and mediate scotopic (dim-light) and peripheral vision; cones contain photopsins (3 types) and mediate photopic, color, and central/high-acuity vision.

5. Describe the phototransduction cascade in rods.

   Light isomerizes 11-cis-retinal to all-trans-retinal, activating rhodopsin which activates transducin (G-protein); this stimulates phosphodiesterase, lowering cGMP, closing Na+ channels, hyperpolarizing the cell and reducing glutamate release.

6. What is the visual acuity formula used in a Snellen chart and what does 6/12 mean?

   Visual acuity = distance from chart (numerator) / distance at which a normal eye reads that line (denominator). 6/12 means the patient reads at 6 m what a normal eye reads at 12 m.

7. Which key history points must be elicited for a patient presenting with sudden painless loss of vision?

   Onset/duration, monocular vs binocular, presence of floaters/flashes/curtain (retinal detachment), prior amaurosis fugax, vascular risk factors (diabetes, hypertension), and associated systemic symptoms (e.g., GCA in CRAO).

8. What does a relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD / Marcus Gunn pupil) indicate and how is it tested?

   It indicates an asymmetric afferent (optic nerve or extensive retinal) defect; on the swinging-flashlight test, the affected pupil paradoxically dilates when light is swung to it.

9. What does applanation tonometry measure and what is the normal intraocular pressure range?

   It measures intraocular pressure (IOP); Goldmann applanation is the gold standard. Normal IOP is 10-21 mmHg (mean ~16).

10. What is gonioscopy used for in ophthalmic examination?

    Gonioscopy uses a contact lens with mirrors to visualize the anterior chamber angle and assess whether it is open or closed, essential in classifying glaucoma.

11. Which investigation is the gold standard for imaging retinal vasculature and detecting leakage/ischemia?

    Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA): fluorescein dye injected IV outlines retinal circulation, showing leakage, neovascularization, and capillary non-perfusion.

12. What does Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) image and one major use?

    OCT provides high-resolution cross-sectional images of the retina; it is used to quantify macular edema, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in glaucoma, and macular pathology like AMD.

13. What is the refractive defect in myopia and the type of lens used to correct it?

    In myopia (short-sightedness) parallel rays focus in front of the retina (eye too long or too powerful); corrected with a concave (minus/diverging) lens.

14. What is the refractive defect in hyperopia and the type of corrective lens?

    In hyperopia (long-sightedness) parallel rays focus behind the retina (eye too short or too weak); corrected with a convex (plus/converging) lens.

15. What is astigmatism and how is it corrected?

    Astigmatism is unequal refractive power in different meridians (usually irregular corneal curvature) producing two focal lines instead of a point; corrected with a cylindrical lens.

16. What is presbyopia, its cause, and its correction?

    Presbyopia is age-related loss of accommodation (~after 40) due to decreased lens elasticity and weakening ciliary action; corrected with convex (plus) reading lenses or bifocals.

17. What is the relationship between dioptric power and focal length of a lens?

    Power in dioptres (D) = 1 / focal length in metres. A +2 D lens has a focal length of 0.5 m.

18. What are the morphological types of age-related cataract?

    Nuclear sclerotic (central, causes myopic shift), cortical (spoke/wedge opacities), and posterior subcapsular (PSC, near visual axis, causes early glare and reading difficulty).

19. What is a 'second sight' phenomenon in cataract?

    Nuclear sclerotic cataract increases the refractive index of the lens, causing a myopic shift that may temporarily allow a presbyopic patient to read without glasses.

20. List common causes of congenital cataract.

    Idiopathic (most common), intrauterine infections (TORCH, especially rubella), galactosemia, metabolic disorders (e.g., Lowe syndrome), Down syndrome, and hereditary (autosomal dominant).

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