Subretinal Exudative Deposits in Central Serous Chorioretinopathy 351
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BritishJournal ofOphthalmology 1993; 77: 349-353 3349 Subretinal exudative deposits in central serous chorioretinopathy Br J Ophthalmol: first published as 10.1136/bjo.77.6.349 on 1 June 1993. Downloaded from Darmakusuma Ie, Lawrence A Yannuzzi, Richard F Spaide, Maurice F Rabb, Norman P Blair, Mark J Daily Abstract ments,' are generally not associated with sub- The presence of subretinal exudation in a retinal exudative deposits. patient with neurosensory detachment of the We evaluated a group of 11 patients with macula frequently suggests the diagnosis of central serous chorioretinopathy who had sub- choroidal neovascularisation. A retrospective retinal exudative deposits for the following chart review of newly diagnosed cases of purposes: firstly, to identify non-pregnant central serous chorioretinopathy revealed 11 women as another subgroup of central serous patients, seven men and four non-pregnant chorioretinopathy patients who develop sub- women, who had plaques of subretinal retinal exudative deposits; secondly, to describe exudate, which presumably were fibrin. the findings and clinical course of these patients Department of Ophthalmology, Each of these patients had a solitary plaque more completely than in previous papers; Manhattan Eye, Ear and that ranged in size from 300 to 1500 tim in thirdly, to define characteristics of subretinal Throat Hospital, New diameter. These patients had no signs or a exudative deposits that differentiate them from York DIe clinical course suggestive of choroidal neo- the typical exudate seen in choroidal neovascu- L A Yannuzzi vascularisation. In each case the subretinal larisation; fourthly, to hypothesise a mechanism R F Spaide plaque was overlying an exuberant leak in the integrating results from previous studies by pigment was Department of retinal epithelium. The exudate which subretinal exudative deposits form. Ophthalmology and generally present at the initial examination, Patients were selected retrospectively from the Visual Sciences, UIC Eye and usually showed dissolution before or files of the contributing authors. Central serous Center, University of coincident with the resolution of the neuro- chorioretinopathy was defined as an idiopathic Illinois at Chicago College ofMedicine and sensory detachment. After resolution of the detachment of the neurosensory retina, associ- Mercy Hospital and central serous chorioretinopathy, patients ated with focal or multifocal leaks at the level of Medical Center, Chicago, were left with subtle alterations in the retinal the retinal epithelium demonstrable on Illinois pigment M F Rabb pigment epithelium in the areas of the sub- fluorescein angiography. The patients had com- retinal plaque. These findings are important plete ophthalmic examinations, fundus colour Laboratory ofRetinal for two reasons. Firstly, the presence of sub- photography, and fluorescein angiography. All Circulation and Metabolism, Department retinal exudation does not necessarily rule out patients were followed at least until the resolu- ofOphthalmology and the diagnosis of central serous chorioretino- tion oftheir primary detachments. http://bjo.bmj.com/ Visual Sciences, UIC Eye pathy. Secondly, pathophysiological theories Center, University of serous must Illinois at Chicago of central chorioretinopathy College of Medicine, explain how the plaques are deposited behind Results Chicago, Illinois the retina. The 11 patients included seven men and four N P Blair (BrJ Ophthalmol 1993; 77: 349-353) women (Table 1). All were newly diagnosed and Department of all were in good health and none of the women Ophthalmology, Loyola were pregnant. The mean age ofthe patients was on September 28, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. University Medical Neurosensory detachment of the macula can 41 (SD 6) years with a range from 29 to 48 years. School, Maywood, Illinois occur in adults for a variety of reasons; some The mean age of the four women was 40 years, M J Daily conditions require prompt treatment while considerably older than the mean of age of 31 Correspondence to: others can be expected to resolve spontaneously. reported by Gass in his series of pregnant Dr L A Yannuzzi, were Manhattan Eye, Ear and The presence of subretinal exudative deposits patients.' Six were Caucasian, three Asian, Throat Hospital, 210 East 64th may suggest the presence of choroidal neo- and two were Hispanic. Refractive errors were Street, New York, NY 10021, USA. vascularisation. On the other hand, central plano to + 1 00 in all patients following resolu- Accepted for publication serous chorioretinopathy, except in pregnant tion of the macular detachment except for one 26 January 1993 women' or cases ofatypical large bullous detach- patient who was -2-25. None ofthe patients had angioid streaks, peripheral punched out chorio- Table I Patient characteristics retinal atrophic spots, peripapillary atrophy, chorioretinitis, or soft drusen. Agelsexl Initial visual Final visual Presence of Laser In each case there was a neurosensory detach- Patient race* acuity acuity RPEDt treatment ment associated with a solitary, focal, feather- 1 44/WA 20/400 20/70 Yes No edged plaque on the undersurface of the retina 2 35/F/W 20/25 20/25 Yes No 3 43/M/W 20/70 20/200 Yes No (Fig 1). The placoid deposits were generally 4 38/M/W 20/100 20/20 Yes No greyish-white to white, but were occasionally 5 48/F/W 20/25 20/25 Yes No 6 47/M/W 20/60 20/100 Yes Yes cream-coloured. These deposits were trans- 7 29/F/W 20/70 20/20 Yes No lucent to retroillumination. No patient had 8 44/M/H 20/200 20/25 No Yes 9 37/WA 20/200 20/40 Yes Yes haemorrhage or cystoid macular oedema, which 10 40/WA 20/80 20/20 Yes Yes can be signs suggestive of choroidal neovascu- 11 48/F/H 20/200 20/30 Yes Yes larisation. No patient had the bright, yellow *A=Asian; W=Caucasian; H=Hispanic. white deposits under the retina characteristic of tRPED=retinal pigment epithelial detachment. lipid. Confusion initially caused by the greyish- 350 Ie, Yannuzzi, Spaide, Rabb, Blair, Daily Figure 1(A) A 48-year-old woman with a history of reduced vision in the right eye ofseveral days' duration. There is a neurosensory Br J Ophthalmol: first published as 10.1136/bjo.77.6.349 on 1 June 1993. Downloaded from retinal detachment in the temporal macula overlying a yellowish deposit ofexudate. In the inferonasal macula, there is another serous detachment ofthe retinal pigment epithelium. Figure (B) The early venousphasefluorescein angiogram reveals hyperfluorescencefrompooling beneath the serous detachments ofthe retinalpigment epithelium. The superior white appearance of the plaques led to mistaken pigmentepithelialdetachment is associatedwith afocal leak at diagnoses of choroidal neovascularisation, its temporal margin. retinitis, and, in one patient, an infiltrative metastatic process to the choroid. The subretinal exudative deposit was found between the arcades decline to 20/100. The other two patients, one in 10 of the 11 patients; in one patient it was followed for 8 and one for 9 years, demonstrated found nasal to the disc. no recurrences and visual acuity recovery to The exudate varied in size from 300 pm to 20/20. Nopatientintheseriesdevelopedchoroidal 1500 ,um in diameter. The size ofthe exudate did neovascularisation. not seem to correlate with size of the detach- The dissolution of the exudate did not neces- ment. In our cases, the subretinal exudative sarily parallel the course of the macular detach- deposit often had a partial or complete ring ment. It was usually present at the time of appearance where the centre was thinner and diagnosis. In some cases, the exudate dis- more pellucid than the edges. The inferior appeared long before the sensory retinal detach- portion of the exudate was usually thicker than ment resolved. In a few patients, the ring of the superior portion. exudate persisted surrounding a serous pigment On fluorescein angiography the subretinal epithelial detachment for a variable period after exudative deposit was consistently found the resolution ofthe sensory retinal detachment. directly above or adjacent to a robust leak from In others, the disappearance of the exudate the level of the retinal pigment epithelium (Fig coincided with the resolution of the sensory 2). The exudate did not block the underlying retinal detachment. Some patients were left with detach- a subtle discoloration in the area of the fluorescence. A retinal pigment epithelial greyish http://bjo.bmj.com/ ment was found in 10 of the 11 patients, and the subretinal exudative deposit. leak was almost always at or very near the edge of the retinal pigment epithelial detachment. In a few patients the ring of subretinal exudation Discussion encircled the retinal pigment epithelial detach- The subretinal deposition described in this ment like a halo. No patient had evidence of report appears to be a primary manifestation of retinal vascular leakage. central serous chorioretinopathy. Recognised on September 28, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. A majority of our cases had spontaneous secondary alterations in central serous chorio- resolution of their detachments in 3-6 months. Five patients were treated by laser photocoagula- tion (Fig 3). One author (LAY) followed three patients for more than 7 years. One of these patients experienced chronic and recurrent acute detachments with progressive perifoveal atrophy, cystic macular degeneration, and visual Figure 1(D) A photograph ofthe same patientfollowing 'Figure I1(C) A late venous laserphotocoagulation treatment to the pigment