Features of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) in a Case of Chronic Uveodermatologic Syndrome

To report retinal optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings in a dog with chronic uveodermatologic syndrome (UDS) and to correlate these findings with clinical features to aid in diagnosis.

A 7-year-old spayed female mixed-breed dog presented with red eyes and suspected vision loss. She had a history of panuveitis and bilateral bullous retinal detachments diagnosed 3 years earlier.

Complete ophthalmic examination was performed to evaluate active anterior uveitis and inactive chorioretinitis. Physical exam revealed new vitiligo and skin biopsies of the nasal planum and eyelids confirmed a diagnosis of UDS by a dermatopathologist. Fundus photography documented the retinal lesions and OCT characterized the changes to retinal structure. GLS-1027, a novel anti-inflammatory medication, was started after the most recent flare up in an attempt to control future flare ups.

RetCam fundus photography revealed well-demarcated areas of tapetal hyperreflectivity, hyperpigmented scarring, and non-tapetal depigmentation. OCT b-scans revealed normal retinal layering in unaffected areas and marked pathologic changes in affected areas. These changes included diffuse structural alteration of the retina in areas of hyperpigmented scarring and hypopigmented regions with partial-to-complete loss of retinal thickness and structure. 12 months after the last recheck, the dog continued to receive oral GLS-1027 and had no recurrence of clinical signs on ocular exam.

This study represented the first documentation of in vivo retinal changes in UDS using OCT imaging. This case highlighted the potential of OCT to visualize retinal changes in UDS and suggests its possible utility in disease monitoring.