title: Sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome (SARDS) - a review and proposed strategies toward a better understanding of pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and therapy.
abstract: Sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome (SARDS) is one of the leading causes of currently incurable canine vision loss diagnosed by veterinary ophthalmologists. The disease is characterized by acute onset of blindness due to loss of photoreceptor function, extinguished electroretinogram with an initially normal appearing ocular fundus, and mydriatic pupils which are slowly responsive to bright white light, unresponsive to red, but responsive to blue light stimulation. In addition to blindness, the majority of affected dogs also show systemic abnormalities suggestive of hyperadrenocorticism, such as polyphagia with resulting obesity, polyuria, polydipsia, and a subclinical hepatopathy. The pathogenesis of SARDS is unknown, but neuroendocrine and autoimmune mechanisms have been suggested. Therapies that target these disease pathways have been proposed to reverse or prevent further vision loss in SARDS-affected dogs, but these treatments are controversial. In November 2014, the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists' Vision for Animals Foundation organized and funded a Think Tank to review the current knowledge and recently proposed ideas about disease mechanisms and treatment of SARDS. These panel discussions resulted in recommendations for future research strategies toward a better understanding of pathogenesis, early diagnosis, and potential therapy for this condition.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 736 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.|School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3900 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: András M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8845-0588
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Komáromy
authors.affiliation: Eye Care for Animals, 42 Benefit Street, Warwick, RI02886, USA.
authors.forename: Kenneth L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.affiliation: Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, 1000 Wall Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Heckenlively
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Steven K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lundy
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Maggs
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 175 West Campus Drive, MC 0306, 3280 Litton Reaves Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
authors.forename: Caroline M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Leeth
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
authors.forename: Puliyur S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: MohanKumar
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, 736 Wilson Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
authors.forename: Simon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Petersen-Jones
authors.affiliation: The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA.
authors.forename: David V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Serreze
authors.affiliation: The Animal Medical Center, 510 East 62nd Street, New York, NY 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Woerdt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary; D001766:Blindness / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D004285:Dogs; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: autoimmune retinopathy; blindness; canine; endocrinopathy; hyperadrenocorticism; sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome