Efficacy and Safety of Oral Eplerenone in Acute Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: A Randomised Controlled Study

Abstract

Introduction: Acute Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is an important form of acquired maculopathy that usually presents as localised serous detachment of the neurosensory retina. Although, the disease is typically self limiting over a period of 2-3months, a percentage of patients ultimately develop chronic RPE changes. Eplerenone, a potential Mineralocorticoid Receptor (MR) antagonist, may play a role in regulating choroidal vascularity and modifying the disease in chronic CSCR. Aim: To assess the safety and efficacy of oral eplerenone medication in acute CSCR. Materials and Methods: This was a randomised controlled trial that included 162 eyes of 162 patients with acute CSCR. Patients were divided into two groups– Group-A, which received oral Eplerenone, and Group-B, which received Placebo therapy. Each group comprised 81 eyes. Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA), Central Macular Thickness (CMT), and serum potassium (K+) levels were measured at baseline and monthly intervals for three consecutive months. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics version 20 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The differences in CMT in Group-A and Group-B were 279±56.41µm and 207±68.88 µm (p<0.01) at the end of the first month and 361±33.56 µm and 278±46.27 µm at three months (p<0.01), respectively. The average BCVA improvement in Group-A and Group-B was 6.05 lines and 4.21 LogMAR lines, respectively, at the conclusion (p=0.002). Deterioration to chronicity was seen in 3.7% of the eyes in Group A and 17.3% of the eyes in Group B. The increase in Serum K+ at three months was 0.61±0.27 mg/dL in Group-A and 0.1±0.21 mg/dL in Group-B (p=0.03). Conclusion: Eplerenone is a safe and effective first-line treatment option for acute CSCR, leading to faster and higher resolution with protection from progression to chronicity.