Subfoveal choroidal thickness after photodynamic therapy in patients with acute idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in subfoveal choroidal thickness after photodynamic therapy in patients with acute idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy (ICSCR). METHODS This was a retrospective observational study conducted in 63 participants. The primary outcome measure was subfoveal choroidal thickness at baseline and 3 days, one week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks after photodynamic therapy. The secondary outcome measure was indocyanine green angiography at baseline and 4 weeks and 12 weeks after photodynamic therapy. RESULTS Four weeks after photodynamic therapy, 20 (64.51%) symptomatic eyes showed hypofluorescence corresponding to the area of photodynamic therapy irradiation at the posterior pole. The mean subfoveal choroidal thickness increased significantly from 422±132 μm at baseline to 478±163 μm at day 3 after treatment (P=0.022) and then decreased to 362±113 μm at week 4 (P<0.001) and 339±135 μm at week 12 (P<0.001). CONCLUSION The subfoveal choroid in patients with acute ICSCR is thicker than in the normal population, and in symptomatic eyes is significantly thicker than in fellow eyes. Photodynamic therapy using a one third dose of verteporfin may decrease choroidal vascular hyperpermeability and choroidal thickness in patients with acute ICSCR.