Choroidal neovascularization in caucasian patients with longstanding central serous chorioretinopathy

Purpose: To report the frequency of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in Caucasian patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). Methods: Retrospective consecutive series of 272 eyes (136 patients) who were diagnosed as having chronic CSC based on clinical and multimodal fundus imaging findings and documented disease activity for at least 6 months. The CNVs were mainly determined by indocyanine-green angiography. Results: Patients were evaluated and followed for a maximum of 6 years, with an average follow-up of 14 ± 12 months. Distinct CNV was identified in 41 eyes (34 patients). Based on fluorescein angiography, 37 eyes showed occult with no classic CNV, 3 eyes showed predominantly classic and 1 eye had a disciform CNV. Furthermore, indocyanine-green angiography revealed polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy lesions, in 27 of the 37 eyes, classified as occult CNV on fluorescein angiography. In total, 17.6% of our patients with chronic CSC were found to have CNV that upon indocyanine-green angiography were recognized as being polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Conclusion: In our series of Caucasian patients, we found a significant correlation between chronic CSC and CNV, in which the majority of patients with CNV were found to have polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Our findings suggest that indocyanine-green angiography is an indispensable tool in the investigation of chronic CSC.