WHITE DOT SYNDROMES

Course overview

THE WHITE DOT SYNDROMES CONSTITUTE A GROUP OF INFLAMMATORY CHORIORETINOPATHIES IN WHICH THE COMMON DEFINING CLINICAL FEATURE IS THE PRESENCE OF MULTIPLE, DISCRETE, WHITE LESIONS LOCATED AT THE DEEPER LEVELS OF THE RETINA AND CHOROID. THOUGH SEVERAL OF THE WHITE DOT SYNDROMES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A VIRAL PRODROME, AN ETIOLOGY IS LACKING FOR THESE CONDITIONS. TYPICALLY SEEN IN YOUNG, OTHERWISE HEALTHY ADULTS, THE WHITE DOT SYNDROMES MOST OFTEN PRESENT WITH SYMPTOMS OF PHOTOPSIA, FLOATERS, DECREASED NIGHT VISION, BLURRED VISION, AND VISUAL FIELD LOSS. IN GENERAL, THESE CONDITIONS ARE ACUTE IN ONSET, AND MANY, THOUGH NOT ALL, ARE TRANSIENT WITHOUT LONG-TERM VISUAL CONSEQUENCE. THOUGH THE WHITE DOT SYNDROMES SHARE MANY SIMILAR CLINICAL FEATURES, INCLUDING THE TELL-TALE CHORIORETINAL LESIONS, SEVERAL DISTINCT CLINICAL FEATURES AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTING FINDINGS ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL CHARACTERIZATION. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE WHITE DOT SYNDROMES TO INCLUDE A DISCUSSION OF ETIOLOGIES, EPIDEMIOLOGY, PERTINENT HISTORY AND EXAMINATION FINDINGS, OPTIONS FOR EVALUATION, AND THE INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE TEAM'S ROLE IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THESE CONDITIONS.