Which facial appearance is described by sunken eyes, sharp nose and ears, etc.?

Which facial appearance is described by sunken eyes, sharp nose and ears, etc.?

• A. Facies Hippocratica
• B. Facies Mortis
• C. Facial Pallor
• D. Malar Emaciation

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is recognizing a wasting, dying-looking face. In severe cachexia or terminal illness, the face becomes gaunt as fat and muscle are lost, making the eyes appear sunken and the facial bones more prominent. The nose and ears can look sharp, and the cheeks collapse, giving a hollow, skeletal appearance. This combination is a classic description of Facies Hippocratica, a term tied to the old clinical portrait of extreme emaciation and decline. That’s why it’s the best answer: it specifically names this particular, starvation- or illness-related facial pattern and captures the overall gaunt, hollow look described. Other options describe different facial appearances that don’t fit this exact pattern. Facies Mortis would refer more broadly to a death-associated appearance, not the pronounced wasting pattern here. Facial Pallor focuses on color, not the loss of tissue and hollowed features. Malar Emaciation emphasizes loss of fat in the malar region (cheeks) but doesn’t necessarily include the sunken eyes and sharp nose/ears characteristic of the Hippocratic face.

The main idea here is recognizing a wasting, dying-looking face. In severe cachexia or terminal illness, the face becomes gaunt as fat and muscle are lost, making the eyes appear sunken and the facial bones more prominent. The nose and ears can look sharp, and the cheeks collapse, giving a hollow, skeletal appearance. This combination is a classic description of Facies Hippocratica, a term tied to the old clinical portrait of extreme emaciation and decline.

That’s why it’s the best answer: it specifically names this particular, starvation- or illness-related facial pattern and captures the overall gaunt, hollow look described.

Other options describe different facial appearances that don’t fit this exact pattern. Facies Mortis would refer more broadly to a death-associated appearance, not the pronounced wasting pattern here. Facial Pallor focuses on color, not the loss of tissue and hollowed features. Malar Emaciation emphasizes loss of fat in the malar region (cheeks) but doesn’t necessarily include the sunken eyes and sharp nose/ears characteristic of the Hippocratic face.