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Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences

Gunn's dots

Gunn's dots

Category(ies): Retina, Vitreous
Contributor: Matt Weed, MD
Photographer: Antoinette Venckus

Gunn's dots, originally described by Marcus Gunn, are tiny white dots sometimes visible overlying the large vessels near the optic nerve or the nerve fiber layers. Their presence depends on lighting conditions, and they have no pathologic significance. They are visible reflections of the internal limiting membrane, created by the footplate of the Muller cells. The tiny white specks in these photos are best visualized at the 12:00 and 6:00 positions approximately 1 disc diameter from the optic nerve head.

dots, superior to the optic disc OD
A close up shot of the dots, superior to the optic disc, from the right eye
dots, superior to the optic disc OS
A close up shot of the dots, superior to the optic disc, from the left eye