Butterfly-shaped pigmentary macular dystrophy is an autosomal dominant eye disease characterized by bilateral accumulation of pigment in the macular area that resembles the wings of a butterfly (summary by van Lith-Verhoeven et al., 2003). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of patterned macular dystrophy, see 169150.

Patterned dystrophies of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) refer to a heterogeneous group of macular disorders, characterized by an abnormal accumulation of lipofuscin in the RPE. The lipofuscin is most apparent in the macular area, and its distribution can show various sizes and shapes. High inter- and intrafamilial variability has been described, and retinitis pigmentosa (RP; see 268000)-like changes have sometimes been observed in association with patterned dystrophies (summary by Vaclavik et al., 2012). Three main varieties of patterned dystrophy of the RPE have been described: reticular ('fishnet-like') dystrophy (see 179840 and 267800), macroreticular ('spider-shaped') dystrophy, and butterfly-shaped pigment dystrophy of the fovea. Genetic Heterogeneity of Patterned Macular Dystrophy Also see MDPT2 (608970), caused by mutation in the CTNNA1 gene (116805) on chromosome 5q31; and MDPT3 (617111), caused by mutation in the MAPKAPK3 gene (602130) on chromosome 3p21.