A cotton-wool spot is a white lesion in the superficial retina and ill-defined borders.
These lesions correspond to focal areas of retinal capillary nonperfusion, resulting in ischemic interruption of the axonal transport and edema in the nerve fiber layer of the retina.
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
- Leukemic retinopathy
- 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
