Which statement about the normal horse fundus is true regarding tapetum?

Which statement about the normal horse fundus is true regarding tapetum?

• A. Variable color/presence of tapetum
• B. Tapetum absent in all horses
• C. Tapetum color always the same
• D. There are no dorsolateral vessels in the horse fundus

Answer: (A)

Tapetum lucidum in the normal horse fundus is variable in both color and visibility. The tapetum is a reflective layer in the choroid that enhances night vision by bouncing light back to the photoreceptors. In horses, this reflectivity can show a range of colors—from yellow-green to blue-green or coppery—depending on individual factors like breed, pigment, and age, and its presence can be more or less conspicuous among healthy eyes. This makes the statement that tapetum color or presence can vary the best fit for describing the normal horse fundus. It’s not true that the tapetum is absent in all horses, and its color isn’t fixed to one shade. Also, dorsolateral vessels are present in the horse fundus, so the claim that there are none is not accurate.

Tapetum lucidum in the normal horse fundus is variable in both color and visibility. The tapetum is a reflective layer in the choroid that enhances night vision by bouncing light back to the photoreceptors. In horses, this reflectivity can show a range of colors—from yellow-green to blue-green or coppery—depending on individual factors like breed, pigment, and age, and its presence can be more or less conspicuous among healthy eyes. This makes the statement that tapetum color or presence can vary the best fit for describing the normal horse fundus. It’s not true that the tapetum is absent in all horses, and its color isn’t fixed to one shade. Also, dorsolateral vessels are present in the horse fundus, so the claim that there are none is not accurate.