title: The white dot syndromes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the distinctive and shared features of the white dot syndromes, highlighting the clinical findings, diagnostic test results, proposed etiologies, treatments, and prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Common white dot syndromes are reviewed, including acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy, birdshot chorioretinopathy, diffuse unilateral subacute neuroretinitis, multiple evanescent white dot syndrome, multifocal choroiditis with panuveitis, serpiginous choroiditis, and acute zonal occult outer retinopathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The white dot syndromes are a group of disorders characterized by multiple whitish-yellow inflammatory lesions located at the level of the outer retina, retinal pigment epithelium, and choroid. For clinicians and researchers alike, they present significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
authors.affiliation: Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033, USA. daq2@psu.edu
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Quillen
authors.forename: Janet B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Justin L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gottlieb
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Blodi
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Callanan
authors.forename: Tom S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Equi
mesh_terms: D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D013577:Syndrome