The dark choroid in systemic argyrosis

Argyrosis is a cutaneous discoloration caused by silver. Ocular involvement, including conjunctival and corneal discoloration, has been previously reported. To our knowledge, a retinal involvement was never reported and no data is available about fluorescein angiography patterns of patients with argyrosis. Fluorescein angiography was performed in six consecutive patients with iatrogenic systemic argyrosis. A dark choroid was observed in each case. Red light monochromatic pictures disclosed a leopard spot pattern on the fundus, which was more clearly revealed in one patient by infrared light pictures. These findings suggest that the silver deposit in Bruch's membrane may be responsible for the obscuration of choroidal fluorescence during dye transit and for the visualization of choriocapillary units in pictures using long-wavelength light. The dark choroid is not only present in central retinal dystrophies, but may be observed in other conditions, such as systemic argyrosis.