Birdshot retinochoroidopathy
In ophthalmology, birdshot retinochoroidopathy is a form of uveitis, an eye inflammation. It is suspected to be an autoimmune disease, and is associated with the haplotype Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A29 in 99% of the cases. Therefore if birdshot retinochoroidopathy is suspected, a person would be tested to determine if they are HLA-A29 positive; only a small percentage of the general population is positive for this gene.
Possible symptoms include:
- "flashing" lights in eyes
- floaters
- loss of color vision
- night blindness
- small light-colored spots on the retina
The name of the condition comes from small light-colored spots on the retina, scattered in a pattern like birdshot from a shotgun, but these spots are not present in all cases, and might not be present in early stages.