Swept source optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography in central serous chorioretinopathy

Abstract

Aims/Purpose: To describe swept source optical coherence tomography (SS‐OCT) and SS‐OCT angiography (SS‐OCT‐A) findings in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR).Methods: A retrospective study including 20 patients (22eyes) with acute CSCR, 31 patients (44eyes) with chronic CSCR, 35 uneffected fellow eyes and 50 healthy subjects (50 eyes). SS‐OCT was performed for all eyes with quantitative and qualitative analysis. SS‐OCT‐A was practiced for 17 eyes of the acute group, 38 eyes of the chronic group, 29 uneffected fellow eye and all the healthy subjects with quantitative and qualitative assessment.Results: The SS‐OCT revealed a serous retinal detachment in 100% of eyes with acute CRSC and 69% of eyes with chronic CSCR. The Pigment epithelial detachment was present in 9 eyes in the acute group and in 5 eyes in the chronic group. Outer nuclear layer thickness was lower in the chronic group compared to the acute group and the fellow eyes. Three eyes with acute CSCR and 11 eyes with chronic CSCR had alterations in the ellipsoid zone. The interdigitating zone was thickened and regular, granular, defective and atrophic. Macular oedema and hypereflective membrane were only present in chronic CSCR. Other abnormalities were present in both groups such as fibrin, hyperreflective dots and pigment epithelial irregularities. Subfoveal choroidal thickness and Haller's layer thickness were significantly higher in the acute CSCR, chronic CSCR and the fellow eyes than in the control group. The SS‐OCT‐A showed vascular abnormalities and vascular rarefications in superficial (SCP) and deep (DCP) capillary plexus. The vascular densities (VD) of SCP and DCP in chronic CSCR were lower than those in the acute group, fellow eyes and the control group. We objected in the two groups (acute and chronic) hypointense areas, pattern hyperintense and hypointense and a hyperintense neovascular membrane, the later was only found in the chronic CSCR. The VD of choriocapillaris in acute and chronic CSCR were lower compared to fellow eyes and the control group.Conclusions: SS‐OCT shows structural retinal and choroidal changes during the acute and chronic phase of CSCR. The qualitative and quantitative vascular changes attested by SS‐OCT‐A affect not only the choriocapillaris but also the retinal capillary plexuses.