Leakage from the retinal vessels in the macula and periphery is common, and often causes cystoid macular edema. There is constriction of the peripheral visual field in one third of the cases, and a reduced electrooculogram in over half of eyes tested. The electroretinogram is frequently severely abnormal even if the electrooculogram is normal. Delayed implicit times are common on photopic studies. Some patients will also be found to have abnormalities in dark adaptation even in the absence of symptoms.
Color vision is frequently abnormal and correlates with the presence of macular edema.
Birdshot retinochoroidopathy is typically a chronic condition with multiple recurrences. Later in the course of the disease the fundus lesions may coalesce leading to widespread depigmentation of the fundus. Chronic loss of vision may occur as a result of resistant macular edema and vitritis. Steroids are frequently recommended to treat active inflammation in birdshot retinochoroidopathy, especially if CME is present. Unfortunately, most cases prove relatively resistant to treatment, while other cases respond initially to steroids but develop recurrent inflammation upon their discontinuation.