Chorioretinal juncture. Pigmentary patterns of the peripheral fundus

Pigmentary patterns of the peripheral fundus were studied in 1000 consecutive eyes obtained from 487 autopsy cases in which both eyes were available and 26 surgical cases in which one eye was available (513 subjects). Seven macroscopically defined patterns were identified: linear, dusting, spicular, granular, clumping, and reticular pigmentation and tapetochoroidal hypopigmentation. Each was further characterized topographically (zone and quadrant) and histopathologically. The pattern seen most frequently was granular; it appeared in association most often with dusting, the next most frequently occurring pattern of pigmentation. Frequency of each pattern increased with age, except for reticular pattern, in which the number of cases was too small to permit meaningful analysis. Granular pattern was seen significantly more often in black patients and tapetochoroidal hypopigmentation significantly more often in white patients.