Purpose: To present and evaluate research criteria for the diagnosis of birdshot chorioretinopathy.
Design: Consensus statement.
Methods: Investigators who attended an international conference on birdshot chorioretinopathy drafted diagnostic criteria, which were refined after comment by conference attendees. Sensitivity and specificity of the criteria were evaluated by review of 82 previously diagnosed cases and evaluation of 80 consecutive patients with other forms of uveitis.
Results: Criteria, including presence of "birdshot lesions" and mild intraocular inflammation in both eyes, are based on clinical findings in the absence of systemic disease; HLA-A29 is supportive of diagnosis, but not required. Diagnostic criteria were found to be 100% specific and 97.5% sensitive. Positive predictive value was 100%; negative predictive value was 97.6%.
Conclusions: Standardized criteria for the diagnosis of birdshot chorioretinopathy will facilitate clinical research and the comparison of results from studies performed at different institutions by ensuring a homogeneous population of study patients.