Abstract
The ophthalmic literature contains argument about the distinction between fundus albipunctatus and the tapeto-retinal dystrophies. In 1974 Carr, Ripps & Siegel demonstrated abnormally slow photopigment regeneration in a family with fundus albipunctatus, and a physiological definition of the disorder seemed possible.
I have studied two new families with fundus albipunctatus. Scotopic functions, including the ERG and EOG, were virtually absent under ordinary test conditions (e.g. 30 minutes dark adaptation). However, after 3–4 hours of dark adaptation all of these parameters (including the a-wave, b-wave and b-wave threshold) returned to normal. These findings are consistent with abnormal pigment regeneration. They support the concept that fundus albipunctatus is a well defined disorder separable from stationary night blindness and from the progressive dystrophies.
Additional observations include angiography, which showed widespread pigment epithelial damage, while the punctate lesions were invisible or blocked fluorescence. The punctate lesions in one case showed a striking radial organization. Serial photographs from another case showed that the lesions may change. Mild abnormalities of photopic function were also present.
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Marmor, M.F. (1977). Defining Fundus Albipunctatus. In: Lawwill, T. (eds) ERG, VER and Psychophysics. Documenta Ophthalmologica, vol 13. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1312-3_27
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-1312-3_27
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