Posterior cystoid retinal degeneration in central serous chorioretinopathy.
OBJECTIVE
To study the pattern of cystoid retinal changes in the posterior fundi of eyes with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) using optical coherence tomography (OCT).


METHODS
We retrospectively studied 34 eyes with chronic CSC and cystoid retinal changes at the posterior pole documented by OCT. We analyzed the distribution of cystoid retinal changes with respect to the fovea and chorioretinal lesions.


RESULTS
Generally, cystoid retinal changes occurred in the papillomacular region (21 eyes); foveal involvement was observed in 20 eyes. Large cystoid changes in the central macula with concentric perifoveal lesion extension were detected in three eyes. Cystoid changes tended to occur where the retina adhered to subretinal fibrosis, large laser scars, or spontaneous atrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium and the choroid. Visual acuity ranged from 20/20 to 20/400. In nine eyes in which the cystoid changes spared the foveal center, visual acuity was 20/40 or better.


CONCLUSIONS
Cystoid retinal degeneration in eyes with chronic CSC was distributed outside of the fovea and was not necessarily associated with severely reduced visual acuity. "Posterior cystoid retinal degeneration" defines this pathologic pattern appropriately. OCT findings suggest that intraretinal exudation and cystoid changes in chronic CSC develop through the formation of chorioretinal adherences.
Piccolino
Felice Cardillo
FC
Fondazione per la Macula Onlus, Genova, Italy. felice.cardillopiccolino@unito.it
De La Longrais
Roberta Rigault
RR
Manea
Marilisa
M
Cicinelli
Simonetta
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy; D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005122:Exudates and Transudates; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000473:pathology*; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity