Torpedo maculopathy: disease spectrum and associated choroidal neovascularisation in a paediatric population

Multifocal Torpedo Maculopathy Complicated by Choroidal Neovascularization

Purpose: To present a pediatric patient with a unique configuration of torpedo maculopathy complicated by macular choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Methods: A single case was retrospectively reviewed. Results: An 8-year-old male child presented with decreased vision in the left eye and was found to have 2 distinct torpedo maculopathy lesions, 1 a smaller hypopigmented lesion in the temporal parafovea and the other a larger hyperpigmented comet-shaped lesion in the temporal periphery. Multimodal imaging showed active CNV. The patient received 2 intravitreal injections of ranibizumab with regression of CNV and recovery of visual acuity. Conclusions: CNV is a rare complication of torpedo maculopathy that can affect pediatric patients in the absence of choroidal excavation. The presence of a hyperpigmented peripheral lesion exhibiting symmetry across the horizontal raphe lends support to the hypothesis that an alteration in the development and migration of retinal pigment epithelium cells across the fetal bulge results in this disorder.

Near-infrared imaging retinal diagnostic applications-a review

OBJECTIVE

Near-infrared reflectance (NIR) is a commonly performed noncontact and rapid imaging technique. This paper reviews the clinical applications of NIR for diagnosing and monitoring retinal diseases.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted across the Pubmed database. A total of 105 articles were finally included in this article. Images were acquired from the authors own clinical experience.

RESULTS

The article describes the imaging utility of NIR for diagnosing and deomonstrating findings in various conditions. These include retinal vascular diseases, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), vitreoretinal interface pathologies, retinal dystrophies, inflammatory chorioretinopathies, phakomatoses, retinal toxicities, photic injury, choroidal cavitary lesions, choroidal neoplasms, and choroidal Vascular Lesions.

CONCLUSION

NIR is widely acquired during OCT imaging, and is advantageous at imaging with low illumination levels and through narrow pupils or opaque media. NIR offers valuable information for the diagnosis and follow-up of retinal disease, and is highly recommended to utilize for clinical decision-making in ophthalmology.

Central serous chorioretinopathy: An evidence-based treatment guideline

Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a relatively common disease that causes vision loss due to macular subretinal fluid leakage and it is often associated with reduced vision-related quality of life. In CSC, the leakage of subretinal fluid through defects in the retinal pigment epithelial layer's outer blood-retina barrier appears to occur secondary to choroidal abnormalities and dysfunction. The treatment of CSC is currently the subject of controversy, although recent data obtained from several large randomized controlled trials provide a wealth of new information that can be used to establish a treatment algorithm. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of our current understanding regarding the pathogenesis of CSC, current therapeutic strategies, and an evidence-based treatment guideline for CSC. In acute CSC, treatment can often be deferred for up to 3-4 months after diagnosis; however, early treatment with either half-dose or half-fluence photodynamic therapy (PDT) with the photosensitive dye verteporfin may be beneficial in selected cases. In chronic CSC, half-dose or half-fluence PDT, which targets the abnormal choroid, should be considered the preferred treatment. If PDT is unavailable, chronic CSC with focal, non-central leakage on angiography may be treated using conventional laser photocoagulation. CSC with concurrent macular neovascularization should be treated with half-dose/half-fluence PDT and/or intravitreal injections of an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor compound. Given the current shortage of verteporfin and the paucity of evidence supporting the efficacy of other treatment options, future studies-ideally, well-designed randomized controlled trials-are needed in order to evaluate new treatment options for CSC.

Type 1 and type 2 torpedo maculopathy

PURPOSE

To analyze torpedo maculopathy (TM) and to report the characteristics of the disease.

METHODS

Retrospective study. The review of a database for clinical diagnosis identified eight patients with TM lesions in the retina between 2016 and 2022. Multimodal imaging was used to analyze the cases.

RESULTS

All cases were unilateral, asymptomatic, and hypopigmented. They were associated by surrounding hyperpigmented retinal pigment epithelium changes to varying degrees. All lesions were located in the temporal retina on the horizontal axis, pointing towards the fovea, except for one patient with a lesion inferior to the fovea. Optical coherence tomography imaging revealed a normal inner retina in all eyes. In the area of the TM lesion, attenuation of the interdigitation zone was seen in mild cases (three cases). All other five patients had thinning of the outer nuclear layer and loss of ellipsoid zone and interdigitation zone of the TM lesion. Four of these cases had a subretinal cavitation/cleft, and two of them additionally an inner choroidal excavation. No patient had any sign of choroidal neovascularization. The average age for patients with type 1 TM was 18 years and for type 2 TM 16.5 years.

CONCLUSION

In this large case series, we could not detect an age difference between the different types of the TM. Contrary to previous discussions, type 2 TM can also occur in young patients.

A unique presentation of subretinal fluid in a type III torpedo maculopathy phenotype

Purpose

To report a rare type III torpedo maculopathy lesion with a unique manifestation of subretinal fluid.

Observations

A nine-year-old patient was referred to retina for an evaluation of a hypopigmented oval-shaped lesion in the temporal macula with an area of inferior subretinal fluid in the right eye. The lesion demonstrated inner and outer retinal and retinal pigment epithelial attenuation, intraretinal and subretinal fluid, a serous neurosensory retinal detachment, and inner choroidal excavation on optical coherence tomography. Fundus autofluorescence showed a lane of downward-tracking fluid. Intravenously administered fluorescein angiography revealed a window defect in the area of the torpedo lesion suggesting choroidal flush.

Conclusions and Importance

The case is the third documented case of torpedo maculopathy with subretinal fluid in the literature with a unique combination of intraretinal cystic changes and dependent descending subretinal fluid, somewhat akin to a Best disease outside of the fovea with choroidal excavation. The morphology of torpedo maculopathy continues to expand as more cases are revealed.

Long-term follow-up of torpedo maculopathy: a case series and mini-review

BACKGROUND

Torpedo maculopathy (TM) is a rare, congenital condition characterized by an oval-shaped, chorioretinal lesion in the temporal macula of unknown etiology. To our knowledge, the longest reported follow-up of TM is 5 years. Herein we report 10 years of follow-up on two patients with TM to further characterize the long-term natural history of the condition.

CASE REPORTS

Two patients with torpedo maculopathy were examined at baseline and then again at 5 years and 10 years from baseline. Eyes were evaluated using color fundus photography, automated perimetry, fundus autofluorescence and spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Visual function of both patients remained stable throughout the observation period. In case 1, there was no evidence of change in lesion morphology over the 10 year observation period. Case 2 showed progression of cystic degeneration of the neurosensory retina within the torpedo lesion. Case 1 reported a history of supernumerary teeth and underwent gene sequence with deletion/duplication analyses of the APC gene but no clinically significant variants were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support the position that TM is a nonprogressive condition with long-term stability of visual function. Genetic analysis of case 1 failed to detect any association with Gardner syndrome.

Association of torpedo maculopathy and keratoconus in a young patient: A multimodal imaging study

PURPOSE

To report and document a case of torpedo maculopathy found in a patient affected by keratoconus.Case report: An healthy 16-year-old male patient, affected by keratoconus in both eyes, was referred to the cornea service of our hospital for a follow-up visit.During the dilated fundus examination of the left eye, an oval, well-demarcated, hypopigmented lesion was observed in the juxtafoveal temporal region, pointing towards the center of the macula. Multimodal imaging of the lesion was performed, and the diagnosis of Torpedo Maculopathy was established based on the clinical picture.

CONCLUSION

This is the first case of torpedo maculopathy described in a patient affected by keratoconus. This association may be merely fortuitous or the result of developmental abnormalities affecting both corneal and retinal structures.

A rare case of hyperpigmented torpedo maculopathy

PURPOSE

To describe a rare presentation of torpedo maculopathy (TM).

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 25-year-old male was examined in the retina clinic for a macular scar in the left eye. His visual acuity was 20/20, N6 in both eyes and no past history of ocular trauma or any medical or ocular history. The anterior segment was quiet and intraocular pressure was normal.

RESULTS

The patient's left eye on 78D slit lamp biomicroscopy revealed a flat, diffusely hyperpigmented fusiform torpedo-like lesion with sharp margins and surrounding hypopigmentation located predominantly temporal to the fovea, with its tip pointing towards it and just crossing the vertical foveal midline. Dilated fundus examination with binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy revealed no peripheral chorioretinal lesions or vitritis in both eyes. OCT scan through the lesion revealed gross damage to the outer retinal layers, as well as thickening of the retinal pigment epithelium and underlying shadowing, as well as a hyporeflective subretinal cleft involving the lesion. OCT also revealed outer retinal layer damage with an intact retinal pigment epithelium through the lesion's hypopigmented margins. Fundus autofluorescence image revealed a globally hypoautofluorescent lesion in the left eye, with surrounding patchy hyperautofluoroscent areas. Based on the patient history, clinical and imaging findings, other differential diagnoses such as atypical congenital hypertrophy of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), choroidal nevus, RPE hamartoma, trauma and inflammatory conditions were ruled out. The diagnosis of TM was confirmed based on the typical lesion shape and location.

CONCLUSION

A torpedo lesion with diffuse hyperpigmentation is an unusually rare presentation.

CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN TORPEDO MACULOPATHY TREATED BY AFLIBERCEPT: LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP USING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY ANGIOGRAPHY

PURPOSE

To report a case of torpedo maculopathy (TM) in an elderly patient complicated by choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and that was treated by intravitreal aflibercept injections and monitored during 30 months using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography.

METHODS

A 74-year-old woman complained of a metamorphopsia in the left eye. Visual acuity was 20/25 while fundus examination showed a hypopigmented torpedo-shaped chorioretinal lesion in the temporal macula associated with a retinal exudation.

RESULTS

Multimodal imaging showed a severe chorioretinal excavation confirming the diagnosis of TM associated with an exudative Type 1 CNV. Intravitreal aflibercept injections allowed an initial good anatomical and functional improvement, but multiple recurrences occurred. At the last visit, 30 months after the start of 14 intravitreal aflibercept injections, a persistent subretinal fluid was present with a decreased visual acuity to 20/32 while the CNV surface grew in OCT angiography.

CONCLUSION

This first case of long-term follow-up of CNV secondary to TM showed an anti-VEGF dependency or even a resistance with extension of CNV. Thus, a deep retinochoroidal atrophy could be the late evolution of TM that may result on severe CNV in advanced stages. A regular TM monitoring including OCT and OCT angiography would be necessary to detect any potential CNV for an early and aggressive treatment.

Incidental Unilateral Macular Lesions in Children

BACKGROUND

This study aims to examine the rare entity of unilateral macular lesions in the pediatric population and describe the distinct diagnoses and characterizations related to these findings.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort design. The database of the ophthalmology clinic in a tertiary medical center was reviewed to identify all children with incidental unilateral macular findings, examined during 2016 through 2021.

RESULTS

Twenty children were included. Mean age was 7.8 ± 3.4 years, 50% were girls. The most common macular lesion was torpedo maculopathy (50%), followed by pigmentary changes (25%), discoid maculopathy (15%), macular scar and combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) (5% each). None of the lesions changed after a mean follow-up duration of 2.3 ± 1.5 years. Visual acuity in the involved eye was equal to that in the contralateral eye in 90% of patients and did not change from initial to final visit.

CONCLUSION

Incidental unilateral macular lesions in the pediatric population are usually benign, stable, and do not affect vision. Long-term follow-up is advised, as vision-threatening alterations may appear. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2023;54:346-352.].

Optical Coherence Tomography and Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Pediatric Retinal Diseases

Indirect ophthalmoscopy and handheld retinal imaging are the most common and traditional modalities for the evaluation and documentation of the pediatric fundus, especially for pre-verbal children. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows for in vivo visualization that resembles histology, and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) allows for non-invasive depth-resolved imaging of the retinal vasculature. Both OCT and OCTA were extensively used and studied in adults, but not in children. The advent of prototype handheld OCT and OCTA have allowed for detailed imaging in younger infants and even neonates in the neonatal care intensive unit with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). In this review, we discuss the use of OCTA and OCTA in various pediatric retinal diseases, including ROP, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR), Coats disease and other less common diseases. For example, handheld portable OCT was shown to detect subclinical macular edema and incomplete foveal development in ROP, as well as subretinal exudation and fibrosis in Coats disease. Some challenges in the pediatric age group include the lack of a normative database and the difficulty in image registration for longitudinal comparison. We believe that technological improvements in the use of OCT and OCTA will improve our understanding and care of pediatric retina patients in the future.

Expanded Spectrum Torpedo Retinopathy: A Case Series

Torpedo lesions in the retina are rare, and their clinical significance has not been well established. This case series highlights patients with atypical torpedo lesions with varying orientations and pigmentation patterns. We describe the first documented case of an inferiorly oriented lesion, to our knowledge, and add to the few previous descriptions of double-torpedo lesions.

Torpedo Maculopathy. A Case Report

AIM

Torpedo maculopathy is an incidental, congenital retinal lesion. The typical clinical finding is a unilateral, symmetric, oval, hypopigmented lesion in the inferotemporal macula. In most cases, the lesion is along the horizontal raphe, is torpedo-shaped, and the nasal edge is directed into the foveola. The diagnosis is determined on the basis of its characteristic shape, localization and findings on optical coherence tomography (OCT). The etiology and pathogenesis of torpedo maculopathy is unclear, but it is believed to be a congenital defect of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The aim of this publication is  highlight this diagnosis and to present an incidental finding of torpedo maculopathy in an adult patient.

CASE REPORT

A 30-year-old female patient reported for a routine eye examination. Fundus examination of the right eye revealed an oval hypopigmented lesion with a size of 1 disk diameter inferotemporally from the fovea, which was followed by a satellite lesion in the same axis directed into the foveola. Based on OCT, OCT angiography, fundus autofluorescence, and the typical shape and location of the lesion, the patient was diagnosed with torpedo maculopathy in the right eye.

CONCLUSION

In general, torpedo maculopathy is an asymptomatic, congenital, benign retinal lesion, which is mostly diagnosed accidentally during a routine fundus examination. TM is non-progressive retinal finding with a minimal risk of deterioration of visual functions, which does not require any treatment. Nevertheless, due to the rare risk of a choroidal neovascular membrane, it is recommended to examine patients once a year. It is necessary to consider this diagnosis when a unilateral hypopigmented lesion is found inferotemporally from the fovea, and to distinguish it from chorioretinal atrophy, scar, vitelliform dystrophy, or other RPE lesions as part of the differential diagnosis.

Fundus Changes in the Offspring of Mothers With Confirmed Zika Virus Infection During Pregnancy in French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Martinique, French West Indies

Importance

Most ocular lesions have been described for children with congenital Zika syndrome. The frequency of finding ocular abnormalities is unknown among children exposed to Zika virus (ZIKV) during pregnancy. This study was conducted on newborns whose mothers were positive for ZIKV, confirmed with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.

Objective

To report ocular fundus manifestations in newborns with congenital ZIKV exposure in French Guiana, Martinique, and Guadeloupe, French West Indies, to assess its prevalence. Risk factors, such as the presence of extraocular fetopathies and the gestational term at infection, were sought.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a cross-sectional multicentric study, conducted from August 1, 2016, to April 30, 2019, for which data were collected prospectively. The study inception was at the beginning of 2016 from the onset of the ZIKV epidemic in the French West Indies. Newborns whose mothers tested positive (by RT-PCR) for ZIKV during pregnancy were included.

Interventions

Fundus examination was performed using widefield retinal imaging after pupil dilation. Infection date, delivery mode, and newborn measurements were collected.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Anomalies of the vitreous, choroid, retina, and optic disc.

Results

A total of 330 children (mean [SD] age, 68 [IQR, 22-440] days; 170 girls [51.5%]) were included. Eleven children (3.3%) had perivascular retinal hemorrhages, and 3 (0.9%) had lesions compatible with congenital ZIKV infection: 1 child had torpedo maculopathy, 1 child had a chorioretinal scar with iris and lens coloboma, and 1 child had a chorioretinal scar. Retinal hemorrhages were found at childbirth during early screening. Lesions compatible with congenital ZIKV infection were not associated with the presence of extraocular fetopathy. Microcephaly was not associated with lesions compatible with congenital ZIKV infection (odds ratio [OR], 9.1; 95% CI, 0.8-105.3; P = .08), but severe microcephaly was associated with an OR of 81 (95% CI, 5.1-1297.8; P = .002).

Conclusions and Relevance

Results of this cross-sectional study suggest that the ocular anomalies found may be associated with ZIKV in 0.9% of the exposed population. Ocular lesions were rare, affected mostly the choroid and retina, and seemed to be associated with choroiditis-related scarring that developed during fetal growth.

Multimodal Imaging of Torpedo Maculopathy With Fluorescence Adaptive Optics Imaging of Individual Retinal Pigmented Epithelial Cells

Torpedo maculopathy (TM) is a rare congenital defect of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The RPE is often evaluated clinically using fundus autofluorescence (AF), a technique that visualizes RPE structure at the tissue level from the intrinsic AF of RPE fluorophores. TM lesions typically emit little or no AF, but this macroscopic assessment is unable to resolve the RPE cells, leaving the organization of the RPE cell mosaic in TM unknown. We used fluorescence adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) to show here for the first time the microscopic cellular-level structural alterations to the RPE cell mosaic in TM that underlie the tissue-level changes seen in conventional clinical imaging. We evaluated two patients with TM using conventional clinical imaging techniques and adaptive optics (AO) infrared autofluorescence (IRAF) in AOSLO. Confocal AOSLO revealed relatively normal cones outside the TM lesion but altered cone appearance within it and along its margins in both patients. We quantified cone topography and RPE cell morphometry from the fovea to the margin of the lesion in case 1 and found cone density to be within the normal range across the locations imaged. However, RPE morphometric analysis revealed disrupted RPE cells outside the margin of the lesion; the mean RPE cell area was greater than two standard deviations above the normative range up to approximately 1.5 mm from the lesion margin. Similar morphometric changes were seen to individual RPE cells in case 2. Multi-modal imaging with AOSLO reveals that RPE cells are abnormal in TM well beyond the margins of the characteristic TM lesion boundary defined with conventional clinical imaging. Since the TM fovea appears to be fully formed, with normal cone packing, it is possible that the congenital RPE defect in TM occurs relatively late in retinal development. This work demonstrates how cellular level imaging of the RPE can provide new insight into RPE pathologies, particularly for rare conditions such as TM.

Case Report: Use of Multimodal Imaging to Document a Rare Complication of Torpedo Maculopathy

SIGNIFICANCE

This study demonstrates the importance of routine multimodal imaging for the diagnosis of choroidal neovascular membrane secondary to torpedo maculopathy.

CASE REPORT

A 63-year-old woman with a history of torpedo maculopathy presented with recent-onset symptoms of visual distortion in the right eye. Multimodal imaging modalities revealed the presence of a choroidal neovascular membrane. The choroidal neovascular membrane was treated, and the patient was subsequently followed up to monitor the retinal appearance over time. Significant structural restoration of the macular anatomy with overall functional improvement was seen.

CONCLUSIONS

Although torpedo maculopathy is often a benign diagnosis, complications such as choroidal neovascular membrane can occur. Choroidal neovascular membrane formation is well documented in younger patients with torpedo maculopathy; however, we present a rare case of choroidal neovascular membrane in an elderly individual. Multimodal imaging proved instrumental in the early detection and management of this infrequently reported complication.

Clinical evaluation of torpedo maculopathy in an infant population with additional genetic testing for NEXMIF mutation

PURPOSE

To assess clinical characteristics of torpedo maculopathy (TM) lesions in an infant population with age ≤1.5 years and to investigate the role of NEXMIF mutation in the development of TM.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of medical records of 17 consecutive infants with the diagnosis of TM between 2016 January and 2019 December were done. Fundus images and a hand-held spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (Envisu 2300, Bioptigen, Morrisville, NC, USA) were used to identify clinical characteristics of TM lesions. Additional molecular testing for mutation screening for NEXMIF gene was also carried out.

RESULTS

Totally 55334 infants were screened during the study period and 17 (0.03%) were identified as having TM. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 3.94±5.08 months. All TM lesions showed variable degrees of hypopigmentation. Satellite lesion in one infant was nasally located to the main TM lesion. Absence, disruption, loss, degeneration and/or irregularity of the ellipsoid zone were common findings on OCT examination. No pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant of NEXMIF gene was detected.

CONCLUSION

Fundoscopic appearance and OCT findings of lesions show similarities to those already reported previously. Contrary to popular belief, a nasally located satellite lesion was observed in one of our case.

Serous business: Delineating the broad spectrum of diseases with subretinal fluid in the macula

A wide range of ocular diseases can present with serous subretinal fluid in the macula and therefore clinically mimic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). In this manuscript, we categorise the diseases and conditions that are part of the differential diagnosis into 12 main pathogenic subgroups: neovascular diseases, vitelliform lesions, inflammatory diseases, ocular tumours, haematological malignancies, paraneoplastic syndromes, genetic diseases, ocular developmental anomalies, medication-related conditions and toxicity-related diseases, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and tractional retinal detachment, retinal vascular diseases, and miscellaneous diseases. In addition, we describe 2 new clinical pictures associated with macular subretinal fluid accumulation, namely serous maculopathy with absence of retinal pigment epithelium (SMARPE) and serous maculopathy due to aspecific choroidopathy (SMACH). Differentiating between these various diseases and CSC can be challenging, and obtaining the correct diagnosis can have immediate therapeutic and prognostic consequences. Here, we describe the key differential diagnostic features of each disease within this clinical spectrum, including representative case examples. Moreover, we discuss the pathogenesis of each disease in order to facilitate the differentiation from typical CSC.

Adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy, multifocal ERG and OCTA in unique case of suspected torpedo maculopathy presenting with vitelliform lesion

Purpose

To report the case of a ten-year old girl with torpedo maculopathy with a complete vitelliform lesion and describe associated optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT angiography (OCTA), multifocal electroretinogram (ERG) and adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy (AOO) imaging of the lesion.

Observations

An asymptomatic ten-year old girl with visual acuity of 20/15 OU was referred for evaluation of possible Best's disease of her left eye. The unilaterality, location, and shape of the lesion was consistent with torpedo maculopathy. OCT and autofluorescence (AF) revealed that the entire lesion was composed of subretinal hyperreflective material that was hyperautofluorescent, consistent with vitelliform material. Within the boundary of the lesion, OCTA showed reduced choriocapillaris density while adjacent to the lesion, the choriocapillaris density was slightly increased. Microperimetry demonstrated normal sensitivity in both eyes, electrooculograms (EOG) were normal and multifocal ERG showed symmetrical mildly supernormal amplitudes. Additionally, AOO demonstrated that nasal to the lesion there were clusters of hyper-reflective areas, and immediately adjacent to the lesion cones were poorly resolved. However, there was a return to more normal photoreceptor architecture outside of the lesion.

Conclusions and Importance

Torpedo maculopathy lesions typically present with outer retinal attenuation and retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) atrophy. Vitelliform material was recently observed for the first time in association with Torpedo maculopathy in a case report that described small vitelliform material at the periphery of the lesion. We report the second case of torpedo maculopathy associated with a vitelliform lesion and the first description of a torpedo lesion composed fully of presumed vitelliform material. We also describe findings of OCTA, multifocal ERG and AOO imaging in torpedo maculopathy with vitelliform lesion.

A novel phenotype of torpedo maculopathy on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

Purpose

To present a new phenotype of torpedo maculopathy on spectral domain optical coherence tomography imaging (SD-OCT).

Observations

A 31-year-old female presented with a multi-partite yellowish lesion in the macula of her left eye, with a central fovea-involving component and a temporal tail-like component. The lesion showed mixed hyper- and hypoautofluorescence on fundus autofluorescence imaging. The fovea-involving component exhibited disruption of ellipsoid zone without outer-retinal cavitation on SD-OCT, consistent with the prior-described type 1 OCT morphology. The temporal tail showed subtle inner choroidal excavation with preservation of the ellipsoid zone and outer-retinal structures.

Conclusions

Inner choroidal excavation with preservation of the overlying outer-retinal structures represents a novel morphological phenotype on SD-OCT in torpedo maculopathy. This case demonstrates that distinct morphological subtypes may co-exist in different regions of the same torpedo maculopathy lesion.

Choroidal Cavitary Disorders

The structure and functions of the choroid have been long acknowledged but the pathophysiology behind various anomalies has been difficult to understand until the advent of optical coherence tomography (OCT). With OCT imaging, choroidal cavitations appear as optically empty spaces between the outer retinal and choroidal layers with attenuation or loss of outer retinal layers. Choroidal cavitations are found in the posterior pole and seen in conditions such as pathologic myopia, north carolina macular dystrophy (NCMD), focal choroidal excavation (FCE), and torpedo maculopathy (TM). To date, these disorders have not been linked. A commonality they all share is malformation of the RPE-photoreceptor-choroid complex. The following report describes the differences and similarities of choroidal cavitation amongst the different retinal disorders and emphasizes the importance of multimodal imaging in the detection and management of potential complications.

[Tumor-like diseases and retinal hamartomas in ophthalmological practice]

The article provides a detailed review of the ophthalmoscopic picture, optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the retina and fundus autofluorescence in patients with such rare pathological processes in the fundus as torpedo maculopathy, retinal myelin fibers, retinal astrocytic hamartoma and cavernous hematoma.

Torpedo Retinopathy

Purpose

Torpedo lesions in the retina are rare. This study aimed to investigate torpedo-shaped lesions in the retina in an adult population and to determine the spectrum and features of the disease.

Methods

The review of a database for clinical diagnosis identified nine patients who were diagnosed with torpedo-shaped lesions in the retina between June 2017 and February 2019. Fundus photography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging were used to analyze the cases. Multicolor imaging was also performed.

Results

Nine patients with torpedo-shaped lesions in the fundus were identified. Fundus images revealed that the lesion involved the macula in six eyes; in the remaining three eyes, the lesion was present outside the macula. OCT identified six patients with type 1 torpedo lesions, one with type 2, and two with type 3. On multicolor imaging, the lesion was visualized as a region of increased reflectance in blue, green, and infrared light in all eyes, with notably increased infrared reflectance in eyes with focal choroidal excavation. Choroidal neovascular membrane was evident in one patient on OCT angiography.

Conclusion

Torpedo lesions in the retina can occur away from the macula and exhibit features similar to those of torpedo maculopathy. As such, the authors propose a change in the nomenclature for torpedo lesions in the retina from "torpedo maculopathy" to "torpedo retinopathy."

Ocular manifestations in Congenital Zika syndrome: About a case of torpedo maculopathy

Purpose

To describe pertinent imaging studies and clinical features of a torpedo maculopathy presumably associated with congenital Zika syndrome.

Observation

A 23-month-old child, with no prematurity or microcephaly at birth, was examined in the Ophthalmology department of the University Hospital of Fort-de-France (Martinique, French West Indies), as part of a systematic screening of malformations in children suspected of maternal-fetal exposure to Zika virus. Zika infection was confirmed in the mother's serum by Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction during the third trimester of pregnancy. Fundus examination found a unilateral hypopigmented retinal lesion, temporal to the macula, with an apex pointing to the fovea. Explorations in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography showed a subretinal cleft with broadening and attenuation of the interdigitation zone, elevation of the outer limiting membrane and the ellipsoid zone, without thinning of the outer retinal layers.

Conclusion and importance

There is a proven risk of congenital eye defects after Zika infection during pregnancy. We report here the first case of torpedo maculopathy without microcephaly, in a child suspected of maternal-fetal exposure to Zika.

Torpedo maculopathy: A case series - insights into basic pathology

Torpedo maculopathy is a benign retinal disorder whose pathophysiological origins are currently poorly understood. A number of theories have been postulated, with stable developmental anomalies of the retinal pigment epithelium taking the forefront. Four clinical cases are outlined of patients with macular torpedo lesions, with differing clinical presentation. In all four cases, this reveals very thin retinal pigment epithelium and outer retina associated with the lesion. In a single case, the oldest patient of the group, there is the additional finding of subretinal and intraretinal fluid accumulation. The contrast between this case and the other cases suggests that while initially this benign pathology might start with structurally normal retina with no fluid accumulation, dysgenetic changes in the retinal pigment epithelium might lead to secondary accumulation of fluid over time. Whether indeed this disorder might be progressive in nature, or whether in fact it is a static, non-progressive developmental abnormality as formerly thought, requires further elucidation.

Torpedo Maculopathy Associated with NEXMIF Mutation

Mutations in the neurite extension and migration factor (NEXMIF) gene are associated with X-linked intellectual disability. Thus far, all males reported with NEXMIF mutations have mild to profound intellectual disability with varying combinations of autistic features, poor or absent speech, epilepsy, facial dysmorphism, and strabismus. Affected females tend to have milder intellectual disability but severe, drug-resistant epilepsy. Here, we present a 32-month-old boy with a novel de novo frameshift NEXMIF pathogenic variant (p.Glu375ArgfsX21) who has mild motor delay, language delay, autistic features, and strabismus. In addition to these commonly described findings of NEXMIF mutations, his fundus exam revealed a very rare ophthalmologic abnormality, torpedo maculopathy. This finding has not previously been reported with NEXMIF mutation; however, on literature review, 7/15 males with NEXMIF mutations had other ophthalmologic abnormalities. This patient expands the phenotypic spectrum for males with NEXMIF mutations and suggests that NEXMIF may play an important role in ocular development.