Fundus autofluorescence imaging of the white dot syndromes.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the fundus autofluorescence (FAF) findings in patients with white dot syndromes (WDSs).


METHODS
Patients with WDSs underwent ophthalmic examination, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and FAF imaging. Patients were categorized as having no, minimal, or predominant foveal hypoautofluorescence. The severity of visual impairment was then correlated with the degree of foveal hypoautofluorescence.


RESULTS
Fifty-five eyes of 28 patients with WDSs were evaluated. Visual acuities ranged from 20/12.5 to hand motions. Diagnoses included serpiginous choroidopathy (5 patients), birdshot retinochoroidopathy (10), multifocal choroiditis (8), relentless placoid chorioretinitis (1), presumed tuberculosis-associated serpiginouslike choroidopathy (1), acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (1), and acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (2). In active serpiginous choroidopathy, notable hyperautofluorescence in active disease distinguished it from the variegated FAF features of tuberculosis-associated serpiginouslike choroidopathy. The percentage of patients with visual acuity impairment of less than 20/40 differed among eyes with no, minimal, and predominant foveal hypoautofluorescence (P < .001). Patients with predominant foveal hypoautofluorescence demonstrated worse visual acuity than those with minimal or no foveal hypoautofluorescence (both P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Fundus autofluorescence imaging is useful in the evaluation of the WDS. Visual acuity impairment is correlated with foveal hypoautofluorescence. Further studies are needed to evaluate the precise role of FAF imaging in the WDSs.
Yeh
Steven
S
National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Forooghian
Farzin
F
Wong
Wai T
WT
Faia
Lisa J
LJ
Cukras
Catherine
C
Lew
Julie C
JC
Wroblewski
Keith
K
Weichel
Eric D
ED
Meyerle
Catherine B
CB
Sen
Hatice Nida
HN
Chew
Emily Y
EY
Nussenblatt
Robert B
RB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002825:Chorioretinitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000473:pathology*; D013577:Syndrome; D015866:Uveitis, Posterior / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology