Serpiginous choroiditis is a chronic. progressive, recurrent, and usually bilateral disease involving the choriocapillaris, retinal pigment epithelium, and retina. This disease classically involves the juxtapapillary retina and extends outward in a pseudopodial fashion. We report a case of serpiginous choroiditis beginning in the posterior pole without initial peripapillary lesion, and extending toward the optic disc. The fluorescein angiogram of the lesion showed hypofluorescence in the early phase and hyperfluorescence in the late phase, and the progression of the lesion with time.
Choroid* ; Choroiditis* ; Fluorescein ; Retina ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium

The authors experienced a case of atypical type of idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy that has bullous retinal pigment epithelium detachment and multiple leaking points. So, we report this case with the review of the literatures.
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy* ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium

The authors experienced a case of atypical type of idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy that has bullous retinal pigment epithelium detachment and multiple leaking points. So, we report this case with the review of the literatures.
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy* ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and inflammation. VEGF-A circulates normally in the body and is essential in endothelial cell growth. In the pathological state in the eye, hypoxia increases VEGF-A, promotes growth of neovascularization and accelerates the breakdown of blood-retinal barrier and build-up of fluid in or under the neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). It has 6 isoforms; the predominant isoform (most common of which) is VEGF 165 and is most linked to neovascularization in the eye. VEGF-A provided the rationale for targeted drug development. Anti-VEGF drugs are anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and anti-permeable. The rationale for the use of steroids to treat macular edema is related to their ability to reduce capillary permeability, to inhibit the expression of VEGF gene, and to inhibit the metabolic pathway of VEGF.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Multiple Evanescent White Dot Syndrome is a clinical disorder of unknown etiology that affects primarily the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors, usually manifests with acute visual loss or blurred vision. The course of MEWDS is recoverable over several weeks. Characteristic ocular manifestations may include multiple white dots in the deep retina of posterior pole, granularity of the macula, optic disc edema, and vitreous cells. Fluorescein angiography shows small punctate areas of hyper-fluorescence at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium corresponding to the white dots and late fluorescein staining, fluorescein leakage from disc capillaries. We experienced a case of suspected Multiple Evanescent White Dot Syndrome with Ebstein-Barr virus infection and reviewed the available literatures regarding the disease entity.
Capillaries ; Edema ; Fluorescein ; Fluorescein Angiography ; Retina ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium

Epiretinal membrane formation and membrane contraction are major complications in a variety of ocular conditions, including retinal detachment and penetrating ocular injuries. The epiretinal membrane was derived from pigment epithelial cell and glial cell. In rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, the retinal pigment epithelium was capable of proliferating through retinal tear into the vitreous contributing to preretinal membranes. In this study, we report the ultrastructural features of epiretinal membrane in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment removed during vitreous surgery from 4 patients.
Epiretinal Membrane* ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Membranes ; Neuroglia ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Retinaldehyde*

Delayed absorption of subretinal fluid[SRF]occurs not so infrequently after scleral buckling for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and needs to be differenciated from the condition caused by incomplete closure of retinal break or by proliferative vitreoretinopathy.The purpose of this study was to identify perioperative factors associated with delayed absorption of SRF after scleral buckling.Eighty-four consecutive cases of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment had undergone scleral buckling and been followed for more than 3 months.The duration was shorter than 7 days in early reattachment group[group A, n=65]and the duration was the same as 7 days or longer in delayed absorption group[group B, n=19].Perioperative demographic and ocular factors were analysed.Old age, inferior retinal detachment, operculated tear and proliferative vitreoretinopathy were more prevalent in group B than in group A[p<0.05]. Subretinal gliotic band, demarcation line and subretinal precipitate were detected in group B.Our results suggest that the hypofunction of retinal pigment epithelium and the vitreous traction may play a role in delayed absorption of SRF.
Absorption* ; Retinal Detachment* ; Retinal Perforations ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Retinaldehyde* ; Scleral Buckling* ; Subretinal Fluid* ; Traction ; Vitreoretinopathy, Proliferative

Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy usually occurs in young or middle-aged adults and is usually bilateral. This syndrome is characterized by the acute onset of multiple, flat, yellow-white lesion of the posterior pole at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium and by the rapid loss of vision. These lesions resolve spontaneously, leaving extensive degeneration of pigment epithelium within a few weeks and visual acuity spontaneously improves in most cases. In the acute stage, fluorescein angiographic appearance of condition is characterized by placoid lesions blocking transmission of choroidal fluorescence in the initial phase, which are gradually stained and fluorescence faintly in the late phase. Older lesions represent residual defects in the pigment epithelium and appear as transmission defect without late staining or leakage of dye. Authors experienced and treated a case of acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy in 19-years old male patient, and had a good visual improvement.
Adult ; Choroid ; Epithelium ; Fluorescein ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Male ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Visual Acuity ; Young Adult

The purpose of this study is to investigate the minimal toxic dose of sodium iodate after the intravenous injection in the pigmented rabbits. Thirteen rabbits were given a intravenous injection of 2% sodium iodate(pH 7.4). The animals were devided into two groups, the 10mg/kg and 25mg/kginjected groups. In ERG findings, the b wave amplitude decreased one week after injection in both groups and was recovered at 5 weeks in the 10mg/kg-injected group, but it was not recovered upto 5 weeks in the 25mg/kg-injected group. In the electron microscopic findings, the abnormal change was not observed in the 10mg/kg-injected group but the pigment epithelium and outer segments of the photoreceptors were markedly destroyed and did not recovered upon the 5 weeks in the 25mg/kg-injected group. Therefore, ultrastructural and functional changes occurred in a 25mg/kg of sodium iodate injected group and those changes were not recovered for the period of 5 weeks after injection.
Animals ; Epithelium ; Injections, Intravenous ; Microscopy, Electron ; Rabbits ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; Sodium*

Ultra-structural changes in the retinal pigment epithelium in both pigmented and albino rabbits following a long term topical application of beta-adrenergic blocker were observed. One drop of 1% Befunolol hydrochloride solution was instilled into the conjunctival cul-de-sac twice daily in one eye of the animals. In the retinal pigment epithelium, mitochondria became swollen and numerous vaculoes were formed in the cytoplasm. The widening of the basal infolding were noted in both pigmented and albino rabbits. These changes were more remarkable in 7 months than 3 months. Furthermore, it was much more remarkable in the pigmented rabbits. Some degenerative changes were noted in the inner segment of photo-receptors of albino rabbits in 7 months. These swollen mitochondria and vacuole formations were also observed in the non-pigmented epithelium of the ciliary body.
Animals ; Ciliary Body ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelium ; Mitochondria ; Rabbits ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium* ; Retinaldehyde* ; Vacuoles