[Diffuse retinal epitheliopathy: study of 30 eyes]

Retrospective study of 17 patients (30 eyes) with diffuse retinal epitheliopathy followed for at least 5 years. The study is based on clinical data, ophthalmoscopic findings and fluorescein angiograms. The patients (16 men and 1 woman) are all caucasian with a mean age of 43 years. The disease is bilateral in 13 patients. We report an association with systemic corticosteroid treatment after kidney transplantation in 10 cases. Nine patients have arterial hypertension. Two patients are diabetic and 2 present high level of psychological stress. After a mean follow-up of 12 years, a loss of vision of at least 3 lines is noted in 17 eyes. The decrease in vision is related to an enlargement of the pigment epithelium atrophy to the fovea (15 eyes) or with permanent retrofoveolar serous detachment (2 eyes).