title: Histopathologic features of adult-onset foveomacular pigment epithelial dystrophy.
abstract: We studied the clinical and histopathologic characteristics of the eyes obtained after death from a patient with adult-onset foveomacular pigment epithelial dystrophy. The pigmentation seen in the central fovea corresponded histologically to a hyperplastic clump of retinal pigment epithelium. The pale yellow rim surrounding the central pigmentation corresponded histologically to dense periodic acid-Schiff-positive material underlying thinned, atrophic retinal pigment epithelium. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated homogeneous autofluorescence in the retinal pigment epithelium that was similar in intensity to that of an age-matched control. The results of this clinicopathologic study suggest that in adult-onset foveomacular pigment epithelial dystrophy, an alteration of macular retinal pigment epithelium causes an accumulation of abnormal subretinal pigment epithelial material, photoreceptor degeneration, and serous retinal detachment.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco.
authors: G J
authors: GJ
authors: Jaffe
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Schatz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005584:Fovea Centralis; D006801:Humans; D008266:Macula Lutea; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014792:Visual Acuity