Contrast sensitivity measured in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy after laser photocoagulation

Abstract

Objective To investigate contrast sensitivity(CS)in patients with acute central serous chorioretinopathy(CSC)after laser photocoagulation(LP). Methods This was a prospective self-controlled study. Twenty patients who were diagnosed with acute CSC in one eye were recruited for the study. Among these 20 subjects, there were 17 male and 3 female 40.0±4.3 years old(ranging from 32 to 49). The affected eyes of patients were treated with LP if fundus fluorescene angiography revealed that a leakage lesion was outside of the foveal zone. Patients were followed at 2 and 6 months after LP treatment. The CS and central retinal thickness(CRT)were measured and compared between the affected eyes and the fellow eyes. Results Two months after LP treatment, CS curves were within the normal range in 4 eyes and out of the normal range in 18 eyes. Compared to the fellow eyes, the CS were significantly lower under all spatial frequencies(t=2.428, 6.581, 5.084, 3.461, P<0.05). The CRT of the affected eyes was significantly thinner than that for the fellow eyes(t=5.784, P<0.01). Six months after LP treatment, the CS curves were within the normal range in 14 eyes of 7 patients and out of the normal range in 13 eyes. The of the affected eyes was lower than that for the fellow eyes in the middle to high spatial frequencies(6, 12, and 18 c/d, t=2.236, 3.359, 3.404, P<0.05). The CRT of the affected eye was significantly thinner than the fellow eye(t=6.489, P<0.01). Conclusion Although visual acuity recovers to normal levels 6 months after LP in CSC eyes, CS remains significantly lower than that of the contralateral eye at middle to high spatial frequencies. Key words: Laser coagulation; Central serous chorioretinopathy; Contrast sensitivity; Visual function