How rare is APMPPE?
Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE) is an inflammatory chorioretinopathy which was first described by Gass in 1968. It is classified as a White Dot Syndrome and is uncommon, with an estimated incidence of 0.15 cases per 100,000 persons.
What is retinal pigment epitheliopathy?
Epitheliopathy or acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE) refers to an acquired inflammatory illness affecting the retinal pigment epithelium. It can affect one or both eyes, and is characterized by multiple yellowish white or light-colored lesions that form in the retina.
What causes white dot syndrome?
The etiology of the white dot syndromes remains unknown. Several entities are associated with a viral prodrome, suggesting a potential viral or infectious etiology. Similar to most autoimmune conditions, an unknown trigger is thought to precipitate an inflammatory or autoimmune process in the posterior eye.
What causes retinal pigmentation?
What causes RP? Most of the time, RP is caused by changes in genes that control cells in the retina. These changed genes are passed down from parents to children. RP is linked to many different genes and can be inherited in different ways.
Is there any treatment for retinitis pigmentosa?
At this time, there is no specific treatment for retinitis pigmentosa. However, protecting your eye’s retina by using UV sunglasses may help delay the start of symptoms. A retinal prosthesis (artificial retina) has been developed for individuals with very advanced disease and severe vision loss.
What is the treatment for white dot syndrome?
As stated previously, most white dot syndromes are self-limiting, and therefore no treatment is generally necessary.
How long does white dot syndrome last?
Most patients with APMPPE have a self-limited course with resolution of lesions in two to six weeks. 2,4,11 Visual acuity is diminished very profoundly in the early phases of the disease in some cases but recovers nearly completely to near normal levels within two to three weeks of onset of symptoms.
What does pigment behind the eye mean?
Pigment dispersion syndrome (PDS) happens when the pigment rubs off the back of your iris. The pigment then floats around to other parts of the eye. The tiny bits of pigment can clog your eye’s drainage angle. This can cause eye pressure problems.
Does white dot syndrome go away?
Treatment is required in the latter case to combat loss of vision. The white dots usually disappear naturally. Corticosteroids have been shown to speed up this process. The differences in the immune response of each patient may contribute to the differences seen between the white dot syndromes.
Is white dot syndrome hereditary?
There are yellow-white placoid lesions in the posterior pole at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium. Some suggest a genetic predisposition to the disease, while others postulate an abnormal immune response to a virus.
Is retinitis pigmentosa a disability?
While the Social Security Administration doesn’t award disability benefits on the basis of retinitis pigmentosa itself, the agency does grant disability benefits for those whose peripheral vision and/or central vision has eroded so much that they can’t function at their job, and there are no other jobs they can be …