Predicting Central Serous Chorioretinopathy Recurrence Using Machine Learning

Purpose: To predict central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) recurrence 3 and 6 months after laser treatment by using machine learning. Methods: Clinical and imaging features of 461 patients (480 eyes) with CSC were collected at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC) and Xiamen Eye Center (XEC). The ZOC data (416 eyes of 401 patients) were used as the training dataset and the internal test dataset, while the XEC data (64 eyes of 60 patients) were used as the external test dataset. Six different machine learning algorithms and an ensemble model were trained to predict recurrence in patients with CSC. After completing the initial detailed investigation, we designed a simplified model using only clinical data and OCT features. Results: The ensemble model exhibited the best performance among the six algorithms, with accuracies of 0.941 (internal test dataset) and 0.970 (external test dataset) at 3 months and 0.903 (internal test dataset) and 1.000 (external test dataset) at 6 months. The simplified model showed a comparable level of predictive power. Conclusion: Machine learning achieves high accuracies in predicting the recurrence of CSC patients. The application of an intelligent recurrence prediction model for patients with CSC can potentially facilitate recurrence factor identification and precise individualized interventions.