Research Appraisals
Evidence-based critical appraisals of the latest medical research, systematically evaluated using Oxford CEBM methodology.
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Scientific data
A Dataset of Widefield Fundus Images From Patients With Birdshot Chorioretinitis and Matched Control
Birdshot chorioretinitis is a rare uveitis where research is limited by the lack of large, publicly available imaging datasets. To address this gap, we present Birdshot-Wide, a standardized retinal imaging dataset comprising 5,042 widefield fundus photographs from 742 eyes with birdshot chorioretinitis (BSCR) and 1,310 images from 742 age-and sex- matched healthy eyes controls. The BSCR cohort is longitudinal, with a median follow-up of 4.31 years. Each image in the BSCR cohort was manually reviewed for quality and classified by dominant lesion subtype. To demonstrate its utility, the dataset was benchmarked on a classification task, where deep learning models trained to differentiate BSCR from control images achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of up to 0.96. This dataset, with its detailed metadata, provides a valuable resource for biomarker discovery, the development of automated diagnostic tools, and disease progression modeling.
8 June 2026
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Relentless placoid chorioretinitis
Relentless placoid chorioretinitis (RPC) is a rare, vision-threatening posterior uveitis that predominantly affects young adults. The hallmark clinical findings are numerous scattered placoid chorioretinal lesions involving the midperipheral and far peripheral fundus as well as the posterior pole and a persistent or recurrent course resulting in lesions at different chronological stages, with fresh creamy placoid lesions and healing pigmented lesions being present at the same time. Although RPC is frequently described as a disease that is intermediate between acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE) and serpiginous choroiditis, it more closely resembles APMPPE. It is important to identify those patients with RPC who present with an APMPPE phenotype so that appropriate immunomodulatory therapy is instituted without delay, as most cases of RPC are refractory to corticosteroid monotherapy. Examination findings may help differentiate RPC and APMPPE. Multimodal imaging, including ultra-widefield imaging, and selective investigations aid in distinguishing RPC from other placoid diseases and types of posterior uveitis.
1 Jan 2026
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