MEWDS, Common Cold of the Retina

Multiple Evanescent White Dot Syndrome (MEWDS) was first described by Jampol and colleagues in 1984 as an acute, idiopathic, and typically unilateral disturbance in vision.[1] It manifests as transient small gray‑white dots in the outer retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) with foveal granularityas the most characteristic feature.[1,2] Other features include an edematous appearing optic nerve head and the presence of cells in the vitreous. No known racial or hereditary predilections have been reported.[3] Associated clinical findings include a flu‑like prodrome, predisposition to involve young females, blurred disc margins, and temporal scotomata.[1] Although the precise pathogenesis remains unknown, a viral‑like infection with a possible immune‑mediated mechanism and genetic susceptibility is suspected.[4] In all of the MEWDS variants, a predilection for inflammation seems to exist in the peripapillary circulation. In this location, a plentiful source of ciliary arteries communicates axially with the retinal circulation and accounts for the characteristic enlargement of the blind spot that is observed in patients with this disorder.[