Pregnancy as a risk factor for central serous chorioretinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Pregnancy induces significant changes in the body, including increased peripheral and choroidal blood perfusion and an increased systemic corticosteroid level. Here, we systematically reviewed the evidence on pregnancy as a risk factor for developing central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and conducted a meta-analysis to obtain a summary estimate.

We searched 12 literature databases on 16 February 2025 for epidemiological studies, which evaluated the potential association between pregnancy and CSC. All eligible studies were included for a qualitative review and a meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was made using the random-effects model on the odds ratio (OR) of the association between pregnancy and CSC.

Four studies were eligible for our review. Of the 2766 individuals (1345 patients with CSC, 1391 controls) in these studies, females constituted 26%-64% of study populations in individual studies. The calculated summary estimate of pregnancy as a risk factor for CSC was OR 5.51 (95% CI: 2.12-14.30, p = 0.00046). Heterogeneity statistics suggested minimal to no heterogeneity (Cochran's Q = 0.72; I² = 0%), the funnel plot was symmetrical and the sensitivity analysis suggested robustness of the estimates.

Pregnancy appears to be a significant risk factor for CSC.