Pachychoroid spectrum disease: Comparison of patients with central serous chorioretinopathy complicated with pachychoroid neovasculopathy

This study aimed to determine the incidence and visual outcomes of pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV) in patients initially diagnosed with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). In this study, 144 patients aged 20-55 years with treatment-naïve chronic CSC, defined as the persistence of subretinal fluid (SRF) for 6 months, were retrospectively enrolled. Patients with PNV at the initial evaluation were categorized as Group 1, whereas those who developed new-onset PNV during follow-up were categorized as Group 2. Patients without PNV until the end of the follow-up were categorized as Group 3. Over a mean follow-up period of 49.9 ± 39.9 months, new-onset PNV was diagnosed in 11.8% of patients with CSC. The time taken to reach the initial resolution was longest in Group 1 (11.13 ± 10.70, 8.14 ± 7.90, and 7.32 ± 9.55 months in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively), although these differences were not statistically significant. The numbers of injections needed to achieve initial resolution were 3.76 ± 5.90, 1.64 ± 2.06, and 1.74 ± 4.33 in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively, with no significant differences. SRF recurrence was recorded in 7 (29.2%) patients in Group 1, 9 (64.3%) in Group 2, and 28 (26.7%) in Group 3. The recurrence rates were significantly higher in Group 2 than those in Group 1 or Group 3. At the end of the follow-up period, significant improvements in best-corrected visual acuity were achieved in Groups 1 and 3, compared with baseline, but not in Group 2. Patients with chronic CSC with new-onset PNV exhibited higher SRF recurrence and worse visual outcomes compared to those with initial PNV or those with chronic CSC without PNV. Our study emphasizes the importance of routine screening for prompt diagnoses of new-onset PNV in individuals with chronic CSC.