Background: The aim was to describe the morphological alterations of the retina seen in spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) of eyes with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).
Patients and methods: Data of patients in the database with CSC examined with SD-OCT scans (n = 50) and fluorescein angiography (FA) were analyzed for representative cases exhibiting significant changes of the retinal structure allowing a direct comparison of SD-OCT with FA images and a description of the findings.
Results: Apart from the 3 well-known CCS types [type I shows only subretinal fluid (SRF), type II only serous pigment epithelial detachment (PED) and the intermediate type showing both SRF and PED] hybrid forms were also observed in multifocal CSC, for example type I and type II next to each other. Of the patients 1 showed transformation from type II to type I over a period of 3 months. Small bulges of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) seen in OCT images could be angiographically related to leakage spots. Degenerative changes with subretinal granular sediments, patchy defects in the photoreceptor layer, granular alterations of the RPE and atrophy of the RPE and neuroretina were particularly observed in chronic CSC.
Conclusion: Spectral domain OCT is a valuable imaging technology enabling detailed visualization of retinal changes in patients with CSC. It gives access to a better understanding of the disease mechanisms and may provide a new approach to the classification and understanding of CSC.