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Central serous chorioretinopathy after blunt trauma
Claudia Maria Prospero Ponce1, Hasan M Mohidat, Charles A Garcia
1Ophthalmology Department, Retinal Vascular Center, Charles A Garcia MD, Houston, Texas, USA. cmprosperop@gmail.com
BMJ Case Reports
|June 7, 2012
Summary
Blunt eye trauma can trigger central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC), a condition causing fluid buildup under the retina. This case study shows CSC resolved spontaneously in a patient after trauma, restoring vision.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Retinal Diseases
Background:
- Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a condition characterized by serous detachment of the neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium.
- While often idiopathic, CSC can be associated with stress, corticosteroid use, and other factors.
Observation:
- A 46-year-old male with a history of diabetes mellitus presented with headache and blurred vision after blunt trauma to the left eye.
- Ophthalmic examination revealed decreased visual acuity (20/200 OS), subconjunctival hemorrhage, lid ecchymosis, serous macular detachment, and retinal pigment epithelium detachment.
- Optical coherence tomography confirmed subretinal fluid, and fluorescein angiography showed a classic 'smokestack' leakage pattern.
Findings:
- The patient was diagnosed with central serous chorioretinopathy secondary to blunt ocular trauma.
- No signs of diabetic retinopathy were observed, despite the patient's history of diabetes mellitus.
- Observational therapy for 4 months resulted in spontaneous resolution of CSC and complete visual recovery (20/20 OS).
Implications:
- This case highlights blunt eye trauma as a potential, albeit uncommon, cause of central serous chorioretinopathy.
- It underscores the importance of considering trauma in the differential diagnosis of CSC, even in patients with comorbidities like diabetes.
- The spontaneous resolution suggests that conservative management may be effective in select cases of traumatic CSC.
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