Abstract
INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the fundus autofluorescence (FAF) images 1 year after half-dose photodynamic therapy (hdPDT) for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). METHODS: Forty-six eyes of 46 consecutive patients with chronic CSC underwent hdPDT. Short wavelength-elicited FAF images and enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomographic (EDI-OCT) images were recorded before and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the hdPDT. The FAF images at 1 month were compared to those at 12 months after the hdPDT. RESULTS: The serous retinal detachment (SRD) was resolved in all eyes. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improved significantly from 0.13 ± 0.28 logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) units before to 0.01 ± 0.17 logMAR units at 12 months after the hdPDT (p = 0.001; paired t test). The mean choroidal thickness decreased significantly from 365.4 ± 103.0 µm to 284.3 ± 92.5 µm at 12 months (p < 0.001). Abnormal FAF images were present within the irradiated area in all the eyes before the hdPDT. In 5 of 46 eyes, identifiable changes of the FAF images were observed 12 months after hdPDT. None of the eyes had the confluent hypo-FAF type during the follow-up period. Univariate analyses showed that the choroidal thickness before hdPDT correlated significantly with hypo-FAF enlargement (p = 0.005). However, multivariate analyses showed that the association was not significant (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The progression of the RPE damages occurred in approximately one-tenth of the eyes that underwent hdPDT for chronic CSC. The long-term effect of progression of hypo-FAF on visual functions remains to be determined.