Abstract
Purpose: :
Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is an idiopathic syndrome in young to middle-aged adults which is characterized by central serous detachment of the neurosensory retina due to focal/multifocal leakage areas within the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).Psychological stress associated with sympathetic arousal has been discussed as an important risk factor for this disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the chronic stress level of patients with central serous chorioretinopathy.
Methods: :
The Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress (TICS) is a standardized questionnaire with 57 items for differential diagnosis of 9 different facets of chronic stress (work overload, social overload, pressure to succeed, job dissatisfaction, excessive demands at work, lack of social recognition, social tension, social isolation, and chronic anxiety). TICS also includes a 12-item screening scale that provides an overall value for personal stress.
Results: :
26 patients with central serous chorioretinopathy were tested. 19,2% showed an above-average value in one subfield, 15,4% in two subfields, 15,4% in four subfields and 3,8% in seven subfields. The highest deviations were observed in the fields "social isolation" and "chronic anxiety", followed by "work overload".
Conclusions: :
Patients with central serous chorioretinopathy appear to have elevated scores in the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress (TICS).
Keywords: choroid • retina • stress response