This form of fleck retina disease (see 228980) is characterized by discrete uniform white dots over the entire fundus with greatest density in the midperiphery and no macular involvement. Night blindness occurs. Both autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive inheritance had been suggested (Krill and Folk, 1962; Krill, 1977).

Familial benign fleck retina is an autosomal recessive condition associated with a distinctive retinal appearance and no apparent visual or electrophysiologic deficits. Affected individuals are asymptomatic, but fundus examination reveals a striking pattern of diffuse, yellow-white, fleck-like lesions extending to the far periphery of the retina but sparing the foveal region (summary by Sergouniotis et al., 2011).

Stargardt disease (STGD) is the most common hereditary macular dystrophy and is characterized by decreased central vision, atrophy of the macula and underlying retinal pigment epithelium, and frequent presence of prominent flecks in the posterior pole of the retina. STGD is most commonly inherited as an autosomal recessive trait (see 248200), but STGD4 is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait (summary by Kniazeva et al., 1999). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of Stargardt disease, see STGD1 (248200).

Cone-rod dystrophy is a group of related eye disorders that causes vision loss, which becomes more severe over time. These disorders affect the retina, which is the layer of light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. In people with cone-rod dystrophy, vision loss occurs as the light-sensing cells of the retina gradually deteriorate.\n\nThere are more than 30 types of cone-rod dystrophy, which are distinguished by their genetic cause and their pattern of inheritance: autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, and X-linked. Additionally, cone-rod dystrophy can occur alone without any other signs and symptoms or it can occur as part of a syndrome that affects multiple parts of the body.\n\nThe first signs and symptoms of cone-rod dystrophy, which often occur in childhood, are usually decreased sharpness of vision (visual acuity) and increased sensitivity to light (photophobia). These features are typically followed by impaired color vision (dyschromatopsia), blind spots (scotomas) in the center of the visual field, and partial side (peripheral) vision loss. Over time, affected individuals develop night blindness and a worsening of their peripheral vision, which can limit independent mobility. Decreasing visual acuity makes reading increasingly difficult and most affected individuals are legally blind by mid-adulthood. As the condition progresses, individuals may develop involuntary eye movements (nystagmus).

Any retinitis pigmentosa in which the cause of the disease is a mutation in the BEST1 gene.

Bestrophinopathies, the spectrum of ophthalmic disorders caused by pathogenic variants in BEST1, are typically characterized by retinal degeneration. The four recognized phenotypes are the three autosomal dominant disorders: Best vitelliform macular dystrophy (BVMD), BEST1 adult-onset vitelliform macular dystrophy (AVMD), and autosomal dominant vitreoretinochoroidopathy (ADVIRC); and autosomal recessive bestrophinopathy (ARB). Onset is usually in the first decade (except AVMD in which onset is age 30 to 50 years). Slow visual deterioration is the usual course. Choroidal neovascularization can occur in rare cases. ADVIRC is also associated with panophthalmic involvement including nanophthalmos, microcornea, hyperopia, and narrow anterior chamber angle with angle closure glaucoma.