title: The impact of financial crisis on central serous chorioretinopathy in Greece: is there any correlation?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of economic crisis on central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) incidence in Greece, analyzing data by 3 different ophthalmology units during the period 2005-2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2012, all patients at 3 separate ophthalmology units, i.e., 2 public university clinics and 1 private center, presenting with the diagnosis of acute CSCR, either new cases or recurrent ones, were consecutively enrolled in the study. Patients' data, including age and sex, as well as the date of presentation, were recorded and analyzed. Recurrent cases were also recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study sample included 580 new cases of CSCR (463 male, 117 female) and 97 recurrent cases (84 male, 13 female). The mean age was 48.8 ± 10.3 years (range 25-90). The number of incident as well as recurrent cases increased with more recent years. As expected, the increasing trend of cases and recurrences was reproducible upon the sex-specific analyses. Moreover, the increasing trend of cases and recurrences was reproducible upon the majority of analyses stratified by age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests a potential impact of financial crisis on CSCR. Our results demonstrated that CSCR incidence, in both new and recurrent cases, has increased during the years of economic crisis in Greece, especially in 2010-2011, implying that CSCR is likely to be associated with stress or other emotional stimuli caused by financial crisis. It is also important to note that the results were similar in public and private units.
authors: 2nd Department of Ophthalmology, "ATTIKON" University Hospital, University of Athens, Athens - Greece.
authors: Alexandros A
authors: AA
authors: Rouvas
authors: Irini P
authors: IP
authors: Chatziralli
authors: Ioannis D
authors: ID
authors: Ladas
authors: Vivi
authors: V
authors: Xanthopoulou
authors: Emmanouela
authors: E
authors: Giannakaki
authors: Aikaterini
authors: A
authors: Karamboula
authors: Dimitrios
authors: D
authors: Galanis
authors: Ioannis
authors: I
authors: Datseris
authors: Dimitrios
authors: D
authors: Alonistiotis
authors: Ramza
authors: R
authors: Diamanti
authors: Miltiadis
authors: M
authors: Tsilimbaris
authors: Aikaterini
authors: A
authors: Chalkia
authors: Panagiotis
authors: P
authors: Theodossiadis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D056833:Central Serous Chorioretinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D057172:Economic Recession; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D012008:Recurrence