Possibilities and Limitations of OCT-Angiography in Patients with Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

Abstract

Purpose Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a commonly acquired maculopathy characterized by the accumulation of subretinal fluid at the posterior pole. This study aims to analyze optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) findings in patients with acute and chronic CSC and to compare them to conventional imaging methods. Methods A series of 43 consecutive eyes of 29 patients diagnosed with CSC and 18 eyes of 9 healthy control subjects were included in this retrospective study. The OCTA images were assessed and compared to conventional fluorescence (FAG) and indocyanine green angiography (ICG). Results All CSC patients demonstrated abnormal areas of focal hypo- and hyperperfusion in the choriocapillaris. These were particularly evident in patients with chronic atrophic CSC. FAG and ICG imaging revealed leakage points in 10 of 43 eyes and choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in 3 of 43eyes. OCTA imaging confirmed leakage points in 4 out of 10 cases and choroidal neovascularization in 2 out of 3 cases. In one case, OCTA demonstrated a CNV which was not detectable by FAG/ICG. Conclusion OCTA reveals areas of focal hypo- and hyperperfusion in the choriocapillaris in patients with CSC. Due to the inability to detect plasma flow, OCTA is not suitable to detect leakage points in CSC with confidence. However, OCTA reliably detects CNV in CSC even in the absence of exudative activity and may, therefore, represent an important supplement in the diagnosis of CSC.