A Long Term Recurrent Case of Acute Retinal Pigment Epithelitis

Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2023 Oct;31(8):1730-1735. doi: 10.1080/09273948.2022.2093752. Epub 2022 Jul 28.

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the case of a young adult who developed two episodes of Acute Retinal Pigment Epithelitis (ARPE) in the same eye 7 years apart, describing retinal morphologic changes using SD-OCT scan.

Observations: ARPE is an acute, self-limiting macular disorder characterized by a stippled dark macular lesion surrounded by a hypopigmented halo under fundus examination, corresponding to a foveal disruption of the outer retinal layers and an hyperreflective lesion under SD-OCT scan. Despite ARPE lesions usually appearing to be situated within the macula, a diffuse involvement of the RPE has been suggested1. SD-OCT scan in our patient showed multiple focal lesions involving the whole posterior pole of the affected eye.

Conclusions and importance: We report the first case where a diffuse involvement of the RPE in the disease is supported by an OCT finding and the case with the longest period between two recurrent self-limited episodes described so far.

Keywords: Acute retinal pigment epithelitis; Krill disease; optical coherence tomography; retinal pigment epithelium; white dot syndromes.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Fluorescein Angiography
  • Humans
  • Retinal Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Retinal Pigment Epithelium / pathology
  • Retinal Pigments
  • Retinitis*
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Retinal Pigments