A 72-year-old man has an inferior altitudinal field defect in the right eye. What is the most likely diagnosis?

The most likely diagnosis for a 72-year-old man experiencing an inferior altitudinal field defect in the right eye is retinal artery occlusion. This condition typically occurs due to a blockage in the blood supply to the retina, often resulting from embolism or thrombosis, particularly in older individuals with vascular risk factors.

In this scenario, the inferior altitudinal field defect indicates that the problem is affecting the lower half of the visual field in the right eye. This type of visual field loss can occur in cases of retinal artery occlusion because the area responsible for this visual field is supplied by specific branches of the retinal vasculature. When these branches are occluded, it can lead to a loss of function in the corresponding visual field.

Retinal artery occlusion can present with sudden onset of visual loss and is often accompanied by findings in the fundus examination, such as a pale retina with a characteristic “cherry red spot.” Understanding the vascular supply to the retina and how it relates to visual field defects is crucial in diagnosing this condition.

In contrast, optic neuritis would typically present with central vision loss and could lead to other types of visual field defects, rather than a specific altitudinal field loss. Panuveitis involves inflammation of