[Pathogenesis of central serous chorioretinopathy: angiographic and electrophysiological studies]

By the combination of fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography and multifocal electroretinography (mERG) we examined the correlation of angiographic and electrophysiological findings in acute central serous choroiditis (CSC) to find out if this leads to further information about the course of the disease.

Patients with unilateral, acute CSC (n = 49) were examined by the use of fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography and mERG. The examinations were repeated after 6 and 12 weeks.

Of the patients 47 (96%) showed hypofluorescent areas in the early pictures of the ICG angiography which changed to hyperfluorescence in the late phase pictures in 39 patients (80%). Of the asymptomatic paired eyes, 31 (63%) showed abnormalities in the ICG pictures. The amplitudes in mERG were reduced in the study eyes as well as in the paired eyes and only recovered slowly. Angiographic healing was seen in 44 (90%) patients during the follow-up time, while the reduction of mERG amplitudes recovered more slowly and did not reach normal levels. CSC is a bilateral disease of the central choroid with acute decompensation of the retinal pigment epithelium in one eye. This leads angiographically to a local hypofluorescence with subsequent hyperfluorescence caused by barrier breakdown. The functional recovery follows the morphological healing only slowly. The mERG seems to be an adequate measurement method.