Retinal microstructural abnormalities in central serous chorioretinopathy and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Imaging
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) are distinct retinal diseases.
• Accurate differentiation is crucial for appropriate treatment and visual prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare retinal morphologic alterations in PCV versus CSC using advanced optical coherence tomography.
• To identify key differentiating features between these two conditions on imaging.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 63 eyes with active PCV and 38 eyes with active CSC.
• Utilized speckle noise-reduced spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), fundus photography, and angiography.
• Evaluated specific retinal morphologic alterations.

Main Results:

• Eyes with CSC lacked cystoid macular edema, lipid deposits, subretinal hemorrhage, and hemorrhagic pigment epithelial detachment, unlike PCV eyes.
• PCV eyes exhibited more severe retinal alterations, including fibrin and hemorrhage infiltration in the outer retina.
• Poorer visual acuity in PCV correlated with foveal fibrin or hemorrhagic infiltration.

Conclusions:

• SD-OCT is valuable in differentiating PCV from CSC by revealing the absence of specific features in CSC.
• The presence of fibrin and hemorrhage in PCV leads to more severe retinal changes and worse visual outcomes compared to CSC.