• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.167-172
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• 2008

The Korean bitterling, Acheilognathus signifer (Osteichthyes Cyprinidae), is an endemic and endangered species in Korea. During developmental stages, a small number of oculocutaneous albinism (with colorless body and eyeballs) were observed in the species. In order to investigate histological differences between normal and albinic bitterling, the dorsal skin and choroid-retina of the eyes were taken. The skin and eyes of normal and albino bitterling were similar in structure except for the presence or density of pigment cells. In normal bitterling, the epidermal melanocytes and dermal melanophores were abundantly developed in both the skin and epidermis of the eyes. But in the albino, the dorsal skin had few melanins, and the pigment cells over the choroid-retina pigment epithelium and iris of the eye were very small.

• Journal of The Korean Ophthalmological Society
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• v.59 no.12
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• pp.1190-1194
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• 2018

Purpose: We report a case of unilateral, focal, pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy (PPRCA). Case summary: A 46-year-old female visited our clinic in complaint of a vague problem with her right eye identified during a general medical examination. The visual acuity (without correction) of both eyes was 1.0. Slit-lamp examination of both eyes revealed no specific signs. Fundus examination of the right eye revealed focal, bony-spicule-shaped retinochoroidal atrophy with pigmentation along the course of the superior retinal vein. A fundus autofluorescence examination revealed principally hypofluorescence with some hyperfluorescence at the margin of the atrophic retinochoroidal lesion. Optical coherence tomography revealed mixed clumping and atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer and thinning of the choriocapillaris layer. Fluorescence angiography revealed a window defect and blockage at the site of the lesion (the fluorescent material did not enter the lesion). The site of the window defect was in correlation with the atrophic RPE region. The site of the blockage at lesion also matched with the site of the regional pigment clumping. No definite leakage was observed. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of unilateral focal PPRCA reported from Korea.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.96-104
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• 2010

During an artificial breeding as a part of restoration of the endangered Korean bitterling Acheilognathus signifer, a small number of individuals exhibiting oculocutaneous albinism were produced. We compared the pigmentation and morphology of normal and albinic bitterlings by histological examination of skin samples obtained from 10 regions on the body, fins, and eyes. There were no differences in morphometry and in general morphology of skin between them. In normal bitterlings, pigment cells were better developed in the dorsal region, the upper part of caudal peduncle region, the choroid-retinal epithelium and iris than in other areas. In the albinic bitterling, however, pigment cells were present only in three parts of the dorsal region, the caudal and dorsal fin, which had few melanin cells. Albinic bitterlings also displayed deficient pigmentation in the choroid-retina pigment epithelium and iris. Although they had different pigmentation aspects in distribution and development between normal and albinic bitterlings, melanin cells were mainly present in the dorsal regions of the skin and eyes where are exposed directly to light.