A case of multiple evanescent white dot syndrome treated by steroid pulse therapy

Multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS) is characterized by acute visual loss which is usually spontaneously restored after a few months. While occasional treatments with local or oral steroids have been reported, these are hardly effective. A 25-year-old man, a Sumo wrestler, was diagnosed with MEWDS, and as he wanted a quick recovery to compete in an upcoming tournament treatment with steroid pulse therapy was initiated 8 days after the symptoms appeared. Before treatment, visual acuity in his left eye was 20/400. Multiple white dots were seen at the level of the deep retina or retinal pigment epithelium, and the Mariotte's blind spot extended to the center of the visual field. Immediately after the end of steroid pulse therapy, left visual acuity increased to 20/25, and left visual field recovered remarkably. No white dots were seen funduscopically. Steroid pulse therapy might provide early improvement of visual functions, and we believe it could be a treatment option for initiating an early recovery from MEWDS. However, steroid pulse therapy may also result in lethal damage including disorders of the circulatory organs. Thus, it should only be applied in limited situations in which patients had rapid decline in visual function and needs for social return at an early stage like that of our patient.