Toxemia of pregnancy pigment epitheliopathy masquerading as a heredomacular dystrophy.

Patients with toxemia of pregnancy may develop permanent alterations of the pigment epithelium that if first discovered in later life may be mistaken for a heredomacular dystrophy, a diffuse tapetoretinal dystrophy or other diseases. These nonprogressive changes are caused by multifocal areas of fibrous platelet occlusion of the choriocapillaris that usually occur just prior to or following delivery and is usually associated with a transient period of exudative retinal detachment. The pattern of pigment epithelial derangement is often sufficiently characteristic to suggest the correct diagnosis.