Predicting retinal sensitivity using optical coherence tomography parameters in central serous chorioretinopathy

Purpose: To predict changes in retinal sensitivity using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in eyes with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).

Methods: Twenty-three eyes in 23 patients with CSC were enrolled. Retinal sensitivity was measured twice using microperimetry in all the examined eyes. Spectral domain OCT measurements were simultaneously conducted. The relationship between retinal sensitivity and the thicknesses of (i) the retinal nerve fiber layer plus the ganglion cell layer (RNFL + GCL), (ii) the inner nuclear layer (INL), (iii) the outer nuclear layer (ONL), and (iv) the serous retinal detachment height (SRDH) were investigated in a point-wise manner. The associations between the change in retinal sensitivity and the OCT parameters at baseline were also investigated.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 49.8 ± 10.7 years. The mean SRDH was significantly lower (p < 0.001), and the mean retinal sensitivity (p < 0.001) was significantly higher at the second examination, compared with the first; however, the logMAR visual acuity (VA) did not differ significantly between the two examinations (p = 0.063). The logMAR VA was associated with retinal sensitivity at both the first and second examinations (p < 0.001). The retinal sensitivity at the second examination was significantly correlated with the retinal sensitivity, RNFL + GCL, INL, ONL, and SRDH at the first examination and with the improvement in SRDH.

Conclusions: Retinal sensitivity was associated with the retinal structure in eyes with CSC; these parameters could be useful for predicting the change in visual function prior to treatment.