Central serous chorioretinopathy associated with topical corticosteroids in a patient with psoriasis

Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), also known as central serous retinopathy (CSR), is a visual impairment, often temporary, usually in a single eye, which mostly affects males in the age group of 20 to 50 but may also affect women. CSC occurring after prolonged use of topical steroids in a patient with psoriasis is a novel complication in the English literature.

We describe a case of a 25-year-old male, with a 15-year history of corticoid ointment use for psoriasis, who presented with loss of vision secondary to CSR.

All topical steroid treatments were discontinued and the patient recovered his vision completely. Although topical corticosteroids are frequently utilized for psoriasis management with a low rate of complication, clinicians should be familiar with this rare yet distressing condition. Furthermore, patients with increased production of endogenous corticosteroids (e.g., those with Cushing's syndrome, hypertension, or obstructive sleep apnea) should be warned of the potential of chorioretinopathy following prolonged use of topical corticosteroids.