title: Punctate inner choroidopathy: clinical features and outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the clinical features and outcomes of a large group of patients with a spectrum of clinical appearances and diagnosed as having punctate inner choroidopathy (PIC).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective consecutive case series, patients seen during a 16-year period at Moorfields Eye Hospital who were diagnosed as having PIC and had a minimum of 12 months' follow-up were included. Patients were classified as having typical PIC or atypical PIC (larger, presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome-like lesions). Main outcome measures included development of choroidal neovascularization, development of new PIC lesions, and final visual acuity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 136 patients (271 eyes) were included. The average age was 32 years, 126 patients (93%) were female, and the mean refraction was -4.6 diopters. The overall mean follow-up was 6.2 years. Among 63 normal fellow eyes, 56 (88%) remained unchanged, 3 (5%) developed PIC lesions, and 4 (6%) developed choroidal neovascularization. Eyes with PIC lesions remained unchanged in 49 of 74 cases (66%), with 9 (12%) developing new PIC lesions and 16 (22%) developing choroidal neovascular membrane. In eyes with choroidal neovascularization, the mean logMAR visual acuity was 0.63 at study entry, 0.63 at 12 months, 0.61 at 2 years, and 0.71 at final review (mean, 6.1 years). Overall, 40 eyes with PIC-related choroidal neovascular membrane (26%) had final visual acuity less than 6/60. No differences were observed between typical and atypical PIC eyes in any of the outcome measures or in any of the subgroup analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Punctate inner choroidopathy-related choroidal neovascularization was not visually benign. No differences were observed between eyes with typical and atypical choroidal lesions, supporting the notion that they represent a spectrum of a single disease, PIC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Canberra Hospital and Australian National University, Australia. rohan.essex@act.gov.au
authors.forename: Rohan W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Essex
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fraser-Bell
authors.forename: Jen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sandbach
authors.forename: Adnan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tufail
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dowler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020256:Choroidal Neovascularization / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult