Clinical Studies of 19 Cases of Acute Posterior Multifocal Placoid Pigment Epitheliopathy

ABSTRACT

Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE) is an inflammatory disease of the retina characterized by rapid loss of central vision, secondary to multiple flat yellow-whitish placoid lesions at the level of the pigment epithelium on the posterior pole. The fluorescein angiography demonstrates initial hypofluorescence in the lesion, where shows hyperfluorescence later. Usually, the central vision is recovered spontaneousely despite of permanent alterations in the pigment epithelium. The authors describe the clinical analysis of 19 cases of APMPPE treated at Department of Ophthalmology, Pusan Paik Hospital, Inje Medical college from January 1986 to July 1990. The results were as follows 1) Ten cases(54%)occurred in the third decade. 2) Bilateral involvement occurred in 17 cases(90%) and 4 cases of those showed a different onset of symptoms in both eyes. 3) Nine cases(48%) occurred in the summer. 4) The symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection(URI) preceded by an average six days. 5) The symptoms of URI was indicated by 13 of the patients(68%). 6) Seventeen eyes(47%) showed uveitis as the combined ocular sign. 7) The lymphocytosis of cerebrospinal fluid was shown in four of eight cases(50%). In the complete blood count, leukocytosis was shown with 78% of all. 8) The visual acuity was below 0.4 in 83% of all at the time of presentation, and the final visual acuity was above 0.5 in 89% of all. 9) The visual acuity improved an average of eight weeks after the onset of symptoms.