Yellow-White Things in the Retina Yellow-White Thing Distinctive Ophthalmoscopic Features Mechanism Common Associated Conditions Hard Exudate Deep yellow with sharp margins, often circinate Leakage from pre-capillary arterioles Diabetes, hypertension, von Hippel Lindau disease, radiation Cotton Wool Spot Fluffy gray-white; usually near optic disc Micro-infarction Hypertension, diabetes, connective tissue disease, HIV Retinal Infiltrate Near retinal vessels Clump of leukocytes, sometimes forming granulomas, with organisms and necrotic retina Sarcoid; leukemia; infection with candida, CMV, herpes simplex or zoster, lues Retinal Drusen Clusters of yellow-orange spots, usually centered around fovea Metabolic debris from retinal pigment epithelium Age-related macular degeneration Chorioretinal Atrophy Mostly white often with flecks of black pigment Focal absence of retina and choroid Toxoplasmosis, histoplasmosis, trauma, photocoagulation, congenital Intraluminal Plaque Found at bifurcations; yellow means cholesterol-fibrin ("Hollenhorst plaque") white means calcium or talc Embolism Cervical carotid atherostenosis, calcified cardiac valve, IV drug abuse Myelinated Nerve Fibers Feathery white clump usually connected to optic disc Extension of myelin onto retinal ganglion cell axons None Return to previous page

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Originally created by Jonathan Trobe, M.D., University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center © 2009 The Regents of the University of Michigan Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.