Retinal Cotton-Wool Spots as the First Sign of Systemic Sarcoidosis

Abstract

Isolated retinal cotton-spots have not yet been reported as the sign of ocular sarcoidosis. We describe three patients with retinal cotton-wool spots of initially uknown etiology in whom systemic sarcoidosis was diagnosed 6–16 months later. The diagnosis was confirmed by conjunctival biopsy. These observations indicate that sarcoidosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of retinal cotton-wool spots and patients with these lesions should be followed for the development of this disease