Roth's spot

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Roth’s spots are retinal hemorrhages with white or pale centers composed of coagulated fibrin. They are typically observed via fundoscopy (using an ophthalmoscope to view inside the eye).

They are usually caused by microemboli, often from bacterial endocarditis. Roth’s spots may be observed in leukemia, diabetes, subacute bacterial endocarditis, pernicious anaemia, ischemic events associated with elevated venous pressure and systemic vascular conditions with capillary fragility.