CENTRAL SEROUS CHORIORETINOPATHY High-Resolution Imaging of Asymptomatic Fellow Eyes Using Adaptive Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy

Purpose: To investigate cone density in the asymptomatic fellow eye of patients with unilateral central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). Methods: Seventeen asymptomatic fellow eyes of patients with unilateral CSCR and 17 eyes of aged-matched and gender-matched healthy controls underwent adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy. Cone density and spacing were assessed at the fovea. Clinical and multimodal imaging findings were also recorded. Results: In the CSCR group, the patient mean age was 48.9 +/- 9.8 years. The mean (+/- SD) subfoveal choroidal thickness was 417.8 +/- 125.2 mu m. The foveal external limiting membrane and ellipsoid zone were intact in all patients. Adaptive optics fundus imaging showed a significant decrease in cone density at 2 degrees of eccentricity nasal and temporal to the fovea in asymptomatic fellow eyes of patients with unilateral CSCR compared with controls (P = 0.001 and P = 0.027, respectively). No statistically significant difference in cone density was found at 4 degrees of eccentricity nasal and temporal to the fovea between both groups. Conclusion: Asymptomatic fellow eyes of patients with unilateral CSCR showed a reduced density of foveal cones in the absence of a decreased visual acuity and photoreceptor line disruption on optical coherence tomography. These results suggest that the photoreceptors could be damaged independently of the occurrence of a serous retinal detachment.

Automated summary

This study investigated cone density in the asymptomatic fellow eye of patients with unilateral central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). The results showed a significant decrease in cone density in the asymptomatic fellow eyes compared to healthy controls, suggesting cone cells could be damaged independently of visual acuity and retinal disruptions.