title: Fundus autofluorescence imaging of the white dot syndromes.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Farzin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forooghian
authors.forename: Wai T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Lisa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Faia
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cukras
authors.forename: Julie C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lew
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wroblewski
authors.forename: Eric D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Weichel
authors.forename: Catherine B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Meyerle
authors.forename: Hatice Nida
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Emily Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Nussenblatt
mesh_terms: 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