A cotton-wool spot is a white lesion in the superficial retina that usually occupies an area less than a quarter of that of the optic disc.
These lesions correspond to focal areas of retinal capillary nonperfusion, resulting in ischemic interruption of the axonal transport in the retinal nerve fiber layer.
Abnormalities Associated with Cotton-Woll Spots in the Fundus:
- Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
- Acute blood loss
- Acute pancreatitis
- Aortic arch syndrome
- Cardiac valvular disease
- Carotid artery atherosclerosis
- Central and branch retinal vein obstruction
- Collagen vascular disease
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Dysproteinemias
- Intravenous drug abuse
- Leptospirosis
- Leukemia
- Metastatic carcinoma
- Onchocerciasis
- Papilledema
- Papillitis
- Partial central retinal artery obstruction
- Radiation retinopathy
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever high-altitude retinopathy
- Septicemia
- Severe anemia
- Systemic arterial hypertension
- Systemic interferon-alfa administration
- Trauma
