[Birdshot-type chorioretinopathy]

"Birdshot" retinochoroidopathy is an intraocular inflammation described by Ryan and Maumenee in 1980. It is characterized by vitreous changes, retinal vascular leakage, and multiple depigmented spots of the retinal pigment epithelium and choriocapillaris. Clinical, ophthalmoscopic, and angiographic findings of the disease in two cases are reported. in the first case, the immune response to retinal S-antigen and the presence of HLA A and B antigens were studied. In the second case, particular angiographic appearances were noted. Characteristics differentiating this disease from other intraocular inflammations and etiopathogenesis were studied based on clinical, angiographic, electrophysiologic, immune response and HLA antigen findings. The etiopathogenesis has not been elucidated, but the inflammatory nature of these disease allows symptomatic anti-inflammatory treatment of macular cystoid oedema, to which may be related the loss of central vision.