In a squinting child examined with the Bruckner test using the direct ophthalmoscope, the deviating eye characteristically shows:

• A A duller red reflex than the fixing eye
• B A white reflex only in the fixing eye
• C An absent red reflex in both eyes
• D A brighter red reflex than the fixing eye ✓

Explanation

The Bruckner test compares the red reflexes of both eyes simultaneously at about one metre. Light falling on the deviated eye strikes an eccentric part of the fundus, so the reflex from the squinting eye appears brighter and whiter than that from the fixing eye. A duller reflex suggests media opacity such as cataract rather than strabismus, which is the main differential this test must exclude.

Reference: Khurana Comprehensive Ophthalmology, 8th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.