Idiopathic multifocal choroiditis with outer retinal or chorioretinal atrophy

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Diseases
• Choroiditis

Background:

• Idiopathic multifocal choroiditis (IMFC) is an inflammatory condition affecting the choroid and retina.
• While typically presenting with discrete lesions, IMFC can exhibit varied patterns of retinal damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe thirteen cases of IMFC with discrete chorioretinal lesions.
• To characterize the patterns of outer retinal or chorioretinal atrophy in these patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational case series.
• Utilized multimodal imaging, including high-definition optical coherence tomography, fundus autofluorescence, and fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography.

Main Results:

• Twenty-one eyes in 13 patients showed zonal, multizonal, or diffuse outer retinal/chorioretinal atrophy.
• Atrophy patterns varied, including peripapillary, peripheral geographic, and diffuse forms, with relative central macular sparing.
• Progression of atrophic changes occurred in 10 eyes over an average of 8 years despite treatment.

Conclusions:

• IMFC can manifest with uncommon patterns of zonal, multizonal, or diffuse outer retinal/chorioretinal atrophy.
• Multimodal imaging is essential for evaluating the severity, extent, and progression of these atrophic changes.