<prompt> Cotton wool spots are commonly seen in a AIDSb DMc Hypertensiond CMVabbcacdabc  <response>: Causes of soft exudates cotton wool spotsAll types of severe hypertension hypertensive retinopathy including renal disease, Toxemia of pregnancy.Diabetic retinopathyCollagen vascular disorders :- SLE, PAN, systemic sclerosis, scleroderma, wegener granulomatosis.Infections :- AIDS, septic retinitis including SABE, rarely CMV retinitis in AIDS.Microembolization :- IV drug abuse, Post cardiac surgery, Fat embolism or Purtscher retinopathy.Other Eales disease, Adults anemia Hb 6.6-8.0 gd1, Pseudoxanthoma elasticum, Neoplasia Leukemia, Hodgkins disease, Sickle cell retinopathy, radiation retinopathyNow you must be thinking, why have I not included CMV in the answer? Read question carefully, examiner is asking about common causes. In CMV retinitis, cotton wool spots occur rarely. 