Subretinal fibrosis in central serous chorioretinopathy

• Published in: Ophthalmology (Rochester, Minn.) Vol. 102; no. 7; p. 1077
• Main Authors: Schatz, H, McDonald, H R, Johnson, R N, Chan, C K, Irvine, A R, Berger, A R, Folk, J C, Robertson, D M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-07-1995
• Subjects: Adult; Body Fluids; Choroid Diseases - complications; Choroid Diseases - pathology; Exudates and Transudates; Fibrin; Fibrosis - etiology; Fluorescein Angiography; Fundus Oculi; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Retina - pathology; Retinal Detachment - etiology; Retinal Detachment - pathology; Retinal Diseases - complications; Retinal Diseases - pathology; Vision Disorders - etiology; Visual Acuity
• ISSN: 0161-6420
• DOI: 10.1016/S0161-6420(95)30908-6

To report unusual and heretofore unreported visually damaging manifestations of severe central serous chorioretinopathy.
Case studies.
Each of six male patients (average age, 40 years) had a form of severe central serous chorioretinopathy with at least one eye containing fibrin in the subretinal space that then developed into a subretinal fibrotic scar. Scar formation was followed by a tenting up of the macula, vascularization of the fibrosis (subretinal neovascularization), or a retinal pigment epithelial rip. Four of the seven eyes with subretinal fibrosis had severe visual loss (20/400 or worse).
Subretinal fibrin and other extracellular matrix molecules appear to stimulate the retinal pigment epithelium to undergo fibrous metaplasia, which results in subretinal fibrotic scar formation and other sequelae, all of which can lead to severe visual loss.