White dot syndromes are inflammatory diseases characterized by the presence of white dots on the fundus, the interior surface of the eye. The majority of individuals affected with white dot syndromes are younger than fifty years of age. Some symptoms include blurred vision and visual field loss. There are many theories for the etiology of white dot syndromes including infectious, viral, genetics and autoimmune. Classically recognized white dot syndromes include:
Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy
Birdshot chorioretinopathy
Multiple evanescent white dot syndrome
Acute zonal occult outer retinopathy
Multifocal choroiditis and panuveitis
Punctate inner choroiditis
Serpiginous choroiditis

Specific white dot syndromes
Specific characteristics regarding the white dots and predicted etiology are presented of selected diseases. Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy
Acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy primarily occurs in adults (with a mean age of 27). Symptoms include blurred vision in both eyes, but the onset may occur at a different time in each eye. There are yellow-white placoid lesions in the posterior pole at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium. Some suggest a genetic predisposition to the disease, while others postulate an abnormal immune response to a virus. Birdshot choroidopathy
Multiple evanescent white dot syndrome
Multiple evanescent white dot syndrome occurs mostly in females. Symptoms include a sudden loss of central vision, but patients eventually regain normal vision. The white dots are small and located in the posterior pole at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium. The white dots may disappear after the first few weeks of the disease.
This is supported by the difficulty in detecting "retinal autoantibodies" in patients with acute zonal occult outer retinopathy.Two other diseases which also present with white dots on the fundus are retinitis punctata albescens and fundus albipunctatus. These diseases are not white dot syndromes, but have much more defined etiology. Retinitis punctata albescens is caused by mutations in RLBP1, the gene for retinaldehyde binding protein 1. In comparison, fundus albipunctatus is caused by mutations in RDH5 gene for an 11-cis-RDH in retinal pigment epithelium cells. See also
Ophthalmology
Retina
Retinal pigment epithelium

References
External links
PIC Society, a UK based support group and discussion forum for people with a diagnosis of punctate inner choroidopathy
Birdshot Uveitis Society, a UK based support group and discussion forum for people with a diagnosis of birdshot chorioretinopathy