Choroidal hyperpermeability patterns correlate with disease severity in central serous chorioretinopathy: CERTAIN...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Diseases
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Choroidal vascular hyperpermeability (CVH) is a key indicator in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).
• Identifying distinct CVH patterns can aid in understanding CSC progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the distribution of three identified CVH phenotypes in CSC: uni-focal indistinct signs of CVH (uni-FISH), multiple areas of focal CVH (multi-FISH), and diffuse hyperpermeability (DISH).
• To assess the association between these CVH phenotypes and indicators of disease chronicity in CSC patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of consecutive CSC patients from a tertiary referral center.
• Utilized ultra-widefield (UWF) and 55° indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) for CVH assessment.
• Two independent graders evaluated CVH patterns, with a third acting as referee.

Main Results:

• Of 167 eyes, 26% showed uni-FISH, 52% multi-FISH, and 20% DISH.
• Significant differences in median age, visual acuity, and occurrence of cystoid retinal degeneration and diffuse atrophic RPE alterations were observed across phenotypes.
• These associations held true for both UWF and 55° ICGA grading.

Conclusions:

• The identified CVH patterns (uni-FISH, multi-FISH, DISH) are characteristic of CSC.
• These phenotypes are correlated with established markers of CSC chronicity.
• Further research is needed to determine the predictive value of these patterns for treatment response and prognosis.