cotton-wool spot (CWS)

Introduction

Punctate retinal infarcts seen on funduscopic examination.

They occur secondary to immune-mediated ischemic injury to vascular sheaths of nerves, especially in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

They do not produce symptoms or progress, thus no specific therapy is required.

More general terms

• eye disease (ophthalmopathy)
• abnormal morphologic structure (malformation)

Additional terms

• diabetic retinopathy (DR, proliferative {PDR} & non-proliferative)