title: Clinical application of optical coherence tomography in combination with functional diagnostics: advantages and limitations for diagnosis and assessment of therapy outcome in central serous chorioretinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While identifying functional and structural parameters of the retina in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) patients, this study investigated how an optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based diagnosis can be significantly supplemented with functional diagnostic tools and to what degree the determination of disease severity and therapy outcome can benefit from diagnostics complementary to OCT.
  
  
  METHODS
  CSCR patients were evaluated prospectively with microperimetry (MP) and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) to determine retinal sensitivity function and retinal thickness as outcome measures along with measures of visual acuity (VA). Patients received clinical care that involved focal laser photocoagulation or pharmacotherapy targeting inflammation and neovascularization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Correlation of clinical parameters with a focus on functional parameters, VA, and mean retinal sensitivity, as well as on the structural parameter mean retinal thickness, showed that functional measures were similar in diagnostic power. A moderate correlation was found between OCT data and the standard functional assessment of VA; however, a strong correlation between OCT and MP data showed that diagnostic measures cannot always be used interchangeably, but that complementary use is of higher clinical value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study indicates that integrating SD-OCT with MP provides a more complete diagnosis with high clinical relevance for complex, difficult to quantify diseases such as CSCR.
authors.affiliation: Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Joshua A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schliesser
authors.affiliation: Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallimore
authors.affiliation: Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kunjukunju
authors.affiliation: Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Nelson R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Sabates
authors.affiliation: Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koulen
authors.affiliation: Vision Research Center, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Felix N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Sabates
keywords: microperimetry; ophthalmology; retina; spectral domain optical coherence tomography; structure-function; visual acuity