[Analysis of fundus fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography and choroidal thickness in central serous chorioretinopathy].

Objective: To evaluate the characteristics of choroidal thickness changes and abnormalities in choroidal circulation in cases of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).

Methods: This was a case control study, we measured the bilateral choroidal thickness in 21 patients with unilateral CSC and 24 eyes of 24 age- and sex-matched normal subjects using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT). The choroid was measured from the posterior edge of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) to the choroid-scleral junction at 500 µm intervals of a horizontal section from 3 mm temporal to the fovea to 3 mm nasal to the fovea. Paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare mean choroidal thicknesses between symptomatic eyes and fellow eyes of patients. The datum between patients and normal subjects were analyzed by independent-samples t-test. Fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) were performed and the digital images were analyzed in CSC patients.

Results: The 21 CSC patients had a mean age of 45.6 years, and 12 patients (57.1%) were male. The choroid in symptomatic eyes was thickest beneath the fovea (519.0 ± 102.5) µm. It was significantly thicker than that in the fellow eyes (439.3 ± 94.1) µm (t = 4.171, P < 0.05). Choroidal thickness in both groups was significantly greater than that in the eyes of age- and sex-matched normal subjects (332.0 ± 67.3) µm (t = 7.125, 4.441; P < 0.05). Choroidal thickness at each of the other 12 points showed a similar tendency (t = 2.544 to 3.819, 4.799 to 7.816, 2.487 to 5.236; P < 0.05). ICGA showed a choroidal filling delay (100%), vessels dilation (90.5%), and focal choroidal hyperfluorescence (100%) surrounding leakage from the RPE in symptomatic eyes. Pigment epithelium detachment with abnormal choroidal circulation was observed in 6 fellow eyes. In 4 symptomatic eyes and 11 fellow eyes, ICGA revealed choroidal hyperfluorescence but FFA showed normal appearance.

Conclusions: CSC seems to be a bilateral eye disease with choroidal focal ischemia followed by vessels congestion and hyperpermeability. EDI OCT is a useful tool for monitoring choroidal thickness changes caused by choroidal vascular hyperpermeability.