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Acute retinal pigment epitheliitis is not a diagnostic myth

Eye volume 38, pages 1224–1225 (2024)Cite this article

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We read with interest the comment by Al-Nofal and Charbel Issa [1], in which the authors raise the question as to whether re-consider the original description of acute retinal pigment epitheliitis (ARPE) [2] as a manifestation of other entities in light of the recent advances of retinal imaging, including near-infrared reflectance imaging (NIR), fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT).

The authors question the real existence of ARPE as a separate entity and propose three groups of spectrum diseases in which ARPE may fall [1]. Group 1 would be represented by multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS), group 2 by central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC)/pachychoroid disease and group 3 by acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN).

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Fig. 1: Multimodal retinal imaging of a case of presumed acute retinal pigment epitheliitis of the left eye.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ophthalmology Division, Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, 20122, Italy

    Giuseppe Casalino & Francesco Viola

  2. Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, 20122, Italy

    Francesco Viola

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  1. Giuseppe Casalino
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  2. Francesco Viola
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GC: idea and conceptualisation and produced the first draft of the manuscript. FV: revision of the manuscript. GC and FV: literature review and approval of final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Giuseppe Casalino.

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Casalino, G., Viola, F. Acute retinal pigment epitheliitis is not a diagnostic myth. Eye 38, 1224–1225 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02828-x

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