National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Serpiginous choroiditis

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A family member has been told he has serpiginous choroiditis. They tell us that there is no treatment for this disease, and that he will go blind. Is this true?
There are a few treatment options for individuals with serpiginous choroiditis.[1][2][3] Treatment may involve an anti-inflammatory medication, such as prednisone, or an immune system suppressing combination of prednisone, cyclosporine, and azathioprine. Additionally, the role of cyclosporine alone has been investigated. These treatments may be administered for a long period of time to prevent recurrences. A serious complication of serpiginous choroiditis is choroidal neovascularization. Laser photocoagulation or surgery may be helpful in some of these cases.[3]
Last updated: 9/16/2013

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  1. Serpiginous choroiditis. Digital Reference of Ophthalmology. http://dro.hs.columbia.edu/serpiginous.htm. Accessed 9/16/2013.
  2. Da Mata AP. Serpiginous Choroiditis. Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Foundation. February 1998; http://www.uveitis.org/docs/dm/serpiginous_chroiditis.pdf. Accessed 9/16/2013.
  3. Tewari A, Eliott D. White Dot Syndromes. Medscape Reference. December 10, 2013; http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1227778-overview. Accessed 12/8/2014.