Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: Morphological and Functional Outcome after Subthreshold Thermal Laser Coagulation with a Frequency-Doubled Nd:YAG Continuous-Wave Laser

Laser Treatment of Central Serous Chorioretinopathy - An Update

Laser treatment has been a mainstay for management of central serous chorioretinopathy for a few decades. Different types of lasers have been used and non-damaging retinal laser is the most recent option. The aim of this review is to provide an update on this form of treatment, based on the research published during last 5 years, in comparison with earlier studies published. A MEDLINE database search was performed with a combination of the following terms: central serous chorioretinopathy and laser photocoagulation or subthreshold laser or subthreshold micropulse laser or nanosecond laser or microsecond laser or end-point management or photodynamic therapy. Results were analyzed separately for each modality of laser treatment. Reports published in recent years confirm findings of previous research and do not distinguish treatments of this clinical entity. Among all analyzed laser options, photodynamic therapy provides the fastest and most prominent morphological improvements, including subretinal fluid resorption and reduction of choroidal thickness. This modality is also associated with fewer recurrences than with other treatments. Subthreshold micropulse laser allows the physician to maintain and, in selected cases, improve the patient's vision. Conventional photocoagulation is still effective, especially with the introduction of navigated laser systems. Despite the availability of variable laser treatment options, long-term functional improvements in chronic cases are minor for each modality. Long-lasting central serous chorioretinopathy cases with significantly altered retinal morphology do not usually present with functional improvement, despite satisfactory morphological outcomes. Early initiation of treatment has the potential to prevent visual loss and to improve the patient's quality of life.

Morphometric analyses in patients treated with subthreshold laser photocoagulation for central serous chorioretinopathy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

To analyze changes in selected parameters in optical coherence tomography (OCT) after subthreshold laser coagulation (ST-LP) in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-four eyes of 49 patients with CSCR were included in the study. Each patient underwent therapy with ST-LP with a frequency-doubled Neodym-YAG Laser and OCT imaging. In OCT the thickness of the central subfield, cube volume, average cube thickness, volume under the ETDRS grid, and average thickness under the ETDRS grid were collected.

RESULTS

Decreases in total OCT volume and central retinal subfield thickness were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Possible correlations were observed between visual acuity at V3 (3 months after ST-LP) and Baseline and between central retinal subfield thickness at V1 (4 weeks after ST-LP) and visual acuity at BL.

CONCLUSION

A decrease in retinal thickness and retinal volume could be shown after ST-LP. Central retinal subfield thickness measured by OCT could be a more sensitive measure than mean retinal thickness or macular volume for early detection of disease recurrence occurring in some patients 3 months after ST-LP.

A Review of Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: Clinical Presentation and Management

Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) may be understood as a disease of the chorioretina with the serous detachment of the neurosensory retina, which is secondary to single or multiple localized defects in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). CSC is one of the common forms of loss of vision, usually seen in people who do belong to the working-age group. The most common symptoms are blurring of vision, usually unilateral and which is perceived as a scotoma in the center of the field of vision with associated metamorphopsia and micropsia. The risk factor associated with CSC is psychosocial stress, type A personality, pregnancy, and hypercortisolism. Normal vision is often restored within a span of a few months. After around three months, if the resolution of acute CSC did not change or, let us say, in the case of CSC that is chronic, one should consider treatment. In acute CSC, to resolve symptoms, especially in individuals who work in a field where eyesight is of utmost importance, for example, pilots, focal photocoagulation of leaking RPE lesions can be performed. CSC is a prototype cause of serous neuroretinal detachment, which involves the fovea. CSC symptoms reflect the separation between the RPE and the photoreceptors and the bullous distension of the foveal retina. The effect of therapy as such on the long-term outcome of vision visual is not sufficiently documented. The management would largely be dependent on the appropriate diagnosis made based on clinical presentations, and thus it becomes very much necessary to have knowledge about the same and counsel the patient regarding the association between stress and disease pathology. In acute CSC, retinal photocoagulation is successful to a good extent in eliminating or reducing the leakage of RPE and hence it induces resolution of the serous detachment. This review article is made to make sure the reader is updated about the various clinical and management aspects of CSC by providing a comprehensive idea that is obtained from various well-acknowledged databases across the globe on CSC.