Short Term Presence of Subretinal Fluid in Central Serous Chorioretinopathy Affects Retinal Thickness and Function

Background: Acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR), with subretinal fluid (SRF) resolving spontaneously within a few months from disease onset, has been considered as a benign and self-limiting disease for many years. This study sought to discover if a short presence of SRF can result in morphological and functional damage to the retina. Materials and methods: The study included patients treated by subthreshold diode micropulse laser (SDM) application for acute CSCR at the Dobry Wzrok Ophthalmological Clinic between January 2018 and November 2019. Inclusion criteria were: first episode of CSCR; duration of symptoms of two months or less; complete resolution of subretinal fluid (SRF) after a single session of SDM; and a lack of any retinal pathology, previous CSCR episode, significant anisometropia or amblyopia in the collateral eye. Fifteen patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria, including 13 males and two females aged 42.3 ± 9.5 years. The mean duration of symptoms before treatment was 4.7 ± 1.3 weeks on average. Baseline and follow-up examinations were performed in both the affected and collateral eyes and included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA); spectral-domain optical coherent tomography measurements such as central retinal thickness (CRT) and minimal foveal thickness (MFT) (at the follow-up visit only); fluorescein angiography (at presentation only) and fundus autofluorescence. The first follow-up visit, when the total resolution of SRF was noted, was conducted between 8 and 12 weeks after SDM. Results: Resolved CSCR eyes had significantly poorer BCVA, CRT, and MFT findings in comparison with healthy collateral eyes (respectively, 0.11 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.01 +/- 0.04 logMAR; 238.80 +/- 23.39 vs. 264.87 +/- 21.22 µm and 178.93 +/- 16.88 vs. 199.47 +/- 17.87 µm) despite the short period of CSCR duration (maximum of 14 ± 2.15 weeks on average). Conclusion: Short presence of SRF typical for acute CSCR can affect retinal function and morphology resulting in poorer visual outcome.