Abstract
Purpose :
Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is a retinal disease that presents with serous retinal detachment(s), typically in the macula, and it occurs more often in males than females. While much of the etiology of CSCR remains unknown, previous studies have found the choroid to be a major contributor to the CSCR pathogenesis and that the choroidal thickness in patients with CSCR is greater than the average unaffected patient. We hypothesize that there is a difference in choroidal thickness between males and females, and that this difference may explain part of the gender imbalance in this disease.
Methods :
We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who presented to Massachusetts Eye and Ear between 2012 and 2022 with initial signs of CSCR who underwent enhanced depth imaging (EDI) optical coherence tomography (OCT). For each patient, subfoveal choroidal thickness was measured manually using the Heidelberg software and demographic details were gathered using patient electronic records. Patients who received anti-VEGF injections or PDT prior to initial presentation were excluded from the study due to the possibility that these treatments change the anatomy of the choroid.
Results :
We identified 114 males (age = 49 + 12.7) and 34 females (mean age = 54 + 12.9) that met our inclusion criteria. In patients who had an initial diagnosis of unilateral CSCR (81 males, 22 females), males had a thicker choroid than females (mean males 380.96, mean females 326.7, p = 0.03). In patients with bilateral disease (33 males, 12 females), males had a thicker choroid than females (mean males 430.12, mean females 332.5, p= 0.02).
Conclusions :
These results illustrate a difference in choroidal thickness between males and females. While the etiology behind the sex imbalance in CSCR is likely multifactorial, a difference in baseline choroidal thickness may contribute. Further study will involve a larger sample size and a similar analysis in healthy individuals.
This abstract was presented at the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, LA, April 23-27, 2023.