To observe the clinical and imaging characteristics of acute idiopathic macular degeneration (AIM).

A retrospective clinical study. From March 2016 to January 2018, 5 eyes (5 AIM patients) in The Second People's Hospital of Yunnan Province were included in the study. Among them, there were 4 males (4 eyes) and 1 female (1 eye); all patients were monocular with the average age of 34.2 years. The course of illness from onset of symptoms to treatment was 4-22 days. All affected eyes were examined by BCVA, fundus color photography, OCT, FAF, and FFA. Among 5 eyes, 1 eye with optic disc vasculitis was given oral glucocorticoid treatment; 4 eyes were not interfered after the diagnosis.

The follow-up time was 6 months. During follow-up, BCVA, fundus color photography, and OCT examination were performed. The results were all a sudden decrease in monocular vision, accompanied by visual distortion or central dark spots. At the first visit, the BCVA was 0.1, 0.2, 0.2, 0.05, and 0.5; at the last follow-up, the BCVA of the affected eye was 0.8, 0.6, 0.5, 0.5, and 1.0, respectively. Fundus color photography showed that at the first diagnosis, all the affected eyes showed irregular round yellow-white lesions in the macular area, including 1 eye with small patches of hemorrhage and 1 eye with pseudopyous changes in the macular area. Two to three weeks after the initial diagnosis, the yellowish-white lesions and bleeding in the macular area were basically absorbed. The center of the lesion showed weak pseudopod-like fluorescence, and the surrounding area was surrounded by strong fluorescence in FAF examination. The irregular and strong fluorescence in the early macular area and accumulation of late fluorescein in FFA examination. One eye was receivied glucocorticoid therapy. The upper layer of the retinal nerve in the macular area was detached, and the inferior space showed focal strong reflective material in 3 eyes in OCT examination. At the first diagnosis, the retinal neuroepithelial layer was detached, the top of the RPE layer was irregular with strong reflective material, and the structure of the ellipsoid zone and the chimera zone was unclear; as the course of the disease prolonged, the outer retinal structure recovered.

AIM is characterized by inflammatory exudative changes in the outer layer of the retina in the macular area; FFA is characterized by strong subretinal disc-like fluorescence or multifocal weak fluorescence in the macular area; OCT mainly manifests as neuroepithelial detachment and changes in the outer retina and RPE, The structure can be restored by itself.

Macula lutea/injuries; Retinal diseases/diagnosis; Fluorescein angiography; Tomography, optical coherence; Multimodal imaging characteristics