Pigmented Paravenous Retinochoroidal Atrophy: A Case Report Supported by Multimodal Imaging Studies

Background and Objectives: Pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy (PPRCA) is a rare disease with bilateral retinal pigment epithelium and choroidal atrophy. We present a case of PPRCA using multimodal imaging studies. Case summary: A 61-year-old female was referred to our department for floaters. Funduscopic examination revealed pigment clumps and grayish lesions along the retinal vein and the peripheral area, bilaterally. She did not have nyctalopia or any other visual symptoms including visual loss. She was diagnosed with pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy based on the typical findings of fundus. The findings of wide fluorescein angiography (FA), wide indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), the visual field (VF) and an electroretinogram (ERG) could help us to confirm the diagnosis. The patient did not have any specific treatment for PPRCA in our study and there was no change in visual acuity and multimodal imaging of both eyes over one year. Conclusions: We report a case of PPRCA and the multimodal imaging of this patient. PPRCA is very rare disease and sometimes it is easy to get confused with other diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and vasculitis when it comes to diagnosis. Multimodal imaging features of PPRCA will improve our understanding, diagnosis and prediction of the prognosis of this disease.

Multimodal imaging of pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy

Aim: To describe the multimodal imaging findings of pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy. Methods: A 23-year-old female presented to us for a routine ocular examination. She had a best-corrected visual acuity of 6/6 in both eyes. Anterior segment examination was unremarkable. Fundus examination showed pigmentary changes along the retinal vasculature extending from mid periphery to post-equatorial retina suggesting a diagnosis of pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy. Swept-source optical coherence tomography of the macula showed choriocapillaris thinning at the mid periphery whereas coherence tomography angiography at the mid periphery showed a relatively normal choriocapillaris vasculature in the early stage of the disease. Conclusion: A relatively normal choriocapillaris structure was seen on ocular coherence tomography angiography which could have been due to a milder form of the disease in a young patient.

A mutation in CRX causing pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy

Introduction: Mutations in the cone-rod homeobox ( CRX) gene, a known cause of inherited retinal dystrophy, are characterized by extensive phenotypic heterogeneity. We describe a novel presentation of rod-cone dystrophy (RCD) phenocopying pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy associated with a mutation in CRX. Case description: A 53-year-old man and his 48-year-old brother presented with a history of progressive vision loss and nyctalopia. Fundus examination revealed a bull’s eye lesion with chorioretinal atrophy and intraretinal pigment migration, while spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) demonstrated retinal thinning with outer retinal atrophy. On short-wavelength autofluorescence (SW-AF) imaging, an atypical paravenous pattern of atrophy with a surrounding hyperautofluorescent border was observed. Full-field electroretinogram (ffERG) revealed a rod-cone pattern of dysfunction. A heterozygous pathogenic variant, c.119G>A:p.(Arg40Gln), in the CRX gene was identified in both brothers and segregated in their family. Conclusion: This case report broadens the currently known phenotypic presentations of CRX-associated retinopathy and suggests that mutations in CRX may be associated with pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy.