CHOROIDAL VASCULARITY INDEX IN CENTRAL SEROUS CHORIORETINOPATHY

To evaluate choroidal vascularity index (CVI) in eyes with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) using an image binarization tool on enhanced depth imaging using spectral domain optical coherence tomography scans.

In this retrospective cohort study, enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography scans of both eyes of patients with CSC were taken at baseline; they were segmented and compared with enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography scans of fellow eyes without CSC as well as age-matched healthy subjects. Subfoveal choroidal area (1,500 μm) was segmented into luminal area and stromal area using image binarization. Choroidal vascularity index was defined as the proportion of luminal area to the total circumscribed subfoveal choroidal area.

Eyes with acute CSC (32 eyes) had significantly higher CVI compared with their fellow eyes (27 eyes) (P < 0.0001), 19 eyes with resolved CSC (P < 0.0001) and with 30 eyes of age-matched healthy eyes (P < 0.0001). Fellow eyes of subjects with acute CSC also had significantly higher CVI compared with eyes with resolved CSC (P < 0.0001) and age-matched healthy eyes (P < 0.0001).

Increased CVI suggests increased vascular component compared with the stromal component in acute CSC. Increased CVI was noted in fellow eye of the subjects with acute CSC in comparison with age-matched healthy subjects. The CVI could be a useful index for early diagnosis of CSC and to assess the treatment response after laser photocoagulation or photodynamic therapy.