A shade descending over one eye due to embolic plaque from the carotid artery is called what?

A shade descending over one eye due to embolic plaque from the carotid artery is called what?

• A. Amaurosis fugax
• B. Amaurosis totalis
• C. Retinal detachment
• D. Strabismus

Answer: (A)

Transient monocular vision loss from retinal ischemia due to a carotid-origin embolus is amaurosis fugax. The description of a shade or curtain sweeping down over one eye captures the classic presentation: a brief, curtain-like loss of vision that resolves within seconds to minutes as the embolus clears or collateral blood flow restores retinal perfusion. This event is a warning sign of carotid artery disease and carries stroke risk, so it prompts urgent vascular evaluation and risk-factor management. Retinal detachment can also create a curtain effect, but it tends to be persistent and progressive, often with flashes and floaters, not a brief, self-resolving episode. Amaurosis totalis would imply complete, not partial, vision loss in one eye, and strabismus involves eye misalignment with diplopia rather than transient retinal ischemia.

Transient monocular vision loss from retinal ischemia due to a carotid-origin embolus is amaurosis fugax. The description of a shade or curtain sweeping down over one eye captures the classic presentation: a brief, curtain-like loss of vision that resolves within seconds to minutes as the embolus clears or collateral blood flow restores retinal perfusion. This event is a warning sign of carotid artery disease and carries stroke risk, so it prompts urgent vascular evaluation and risk-factor management. Retinal detachment can also create a curtain effect, but it tends to be persistent and progressive, often with flashes and floaters, not a brief, self-resolving episode. Amaurosis totalis would imply complete, not partial, vision loss in one eye, and strabismus involves eye misalignment with diplopia rather than transient retinal ischemia.