Ketoconazole in the treatment of chronic idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy

To determine the effect of an adrenocorticoid antagonist (ketoconazole) in the treatment of patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).

Ketoconazole was given at an oral dose of 600 mg per day for 4 weeks. Laboratory monitoring included 24-hour urinary cortisol and liver function tests at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Changes in greatest linear dimension were followed with fluorescein angiography at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Posterior pole anatomy was assessed with optical coherence tomography at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Ophthalmic examination and best-corrected visual acuity were assessed at each interval visit.

Median visual acuity in the study eye remained stable at 20/40 throughout the 8-week follow-up. Median lesion height and greatest linear dimension were stable at 4 weeks and decreased at 8 weeks.

Ketoconazole lowered endogenous cortisol after 4 weeks of 600 mg daily. While median visual acuity, lesion height, and greatest linear dimension remained unchanged during the month of drug treatment, there may have been a delayed therapeutic response seen at 8 weeks.