Cotton-wool spots in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome compared with diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension, and central retinal vein occlusion
A. M. Mansour, L. M. Jampol, S. Logani, J. Read and D. Henderly
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.
The cotton-wool spot is a common fundus finding in patients with many
ocular and systemic diseases. We investigated the characteristics of
cotton-wool spots in patients with four major diseases, ie, acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome, diabetes mellitus, systemic hypertension, and
central retinal vein occlusion, to see if any differences were detected in
their number, size, or location. A composite of all the cotton-wool spots
for each of these four categories was obtained by computed reconstruction
to analyze variations in their distribution and size. The cotton-wool spots
had a predilection for the temporal quadrants in the four categories and
were smaller in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome than the
other groups. Patients with ischemic central retinal vein occlusion had
more cotton-wool spots than the other groups. No other definite differences
were detected. Cotton-wool spots than the other groups. No other definite
differences were detected. Cotton-wool spots seem to be a common pathway
following various insults to the retina, most probably of a vaso-occlusive
origin.
