Retinal microstructural abnormalities in central serous chorioretinopathy and polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

OBJECTIVE

To compare retinal morphologic alterations in eyes with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) using speckle noise-reduced spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 63 eyes of 62 patients with active PCV and 38 eyes of 38 patients with active CSC. Patients underwent fundus photography, angiography, and speckle noise-reduced spectral-domain optical coherence tomography examinations, and retinal morphologic alterations were evaluated.

RESULTS

Cystoid macular edema, lipid deposits, subretinal hemorrhage, and hemorrhagic pigment epithelial detachment were not seen in any eye with CSC but were seen in eyes with PCV. In PCV, mean visual acuity was significantly poorer in eyes with fibrin infiltration (P = 0.027) or hemorrhagic infiltration (P = 0.002) in the fovea than in eyes without fibrin or hemorrhagic infiltration.

CONCLUSIONS

Differentiating factors between PCV and CSC noted on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography include a lack of cystoid macular edema, lipid deposition, subretinal hemorrhage, and hemorrhagic pigment epithelial detachment in eyes with CSC, which makes spectral-domain optical coherence tomography helpful in differentiating CSC from PCV. More severe retinal alterations were seen in PCV than in CSC because of infiltration of fibrin and hemorrhage in the outer retina, which also correlated with poorer vision.