Clinical features of pachyvessels associated with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy in chronic central serous chorioretinopathy

To investigate the association between clinical features of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and subsequent development of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). Characteristics and treatment response of PCV secondary to CSC were described. This retrospective observational study included 18 patients with chronic CSC (18 eyes) with subsequent PCV and 36 controls (36 eyes) with chronic CSC without PCV development during follow-up. Clinical features were compared between the two groups. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the risk factor of PCV formation. Treatments for PCV included anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), or PDT and anti-VEGF combination treatment. Subretinal fluid on optical coherence tomography images were assessed after treatments. Significant between-group differences were observed in best-corrected visual acuity after disease resolution and presence of pachyvessels (P = .001 and P = .003, respectively). The presence of pachyvessels in chronic CSC was associated with subsequent PCV (odds ratio = 6.00; 95% CI, 1.74–20.68; P = .005). CSC recurrence and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) were not significantly associated with subsequent PCV development (P = .393 and P = .911, respectively). The mean age of PCV diagnosis was 51 years, and the mean time from CSC diagnosis to PCV confirmation was 77.8 months. The mean (range) SFCT of PCV was 327.7 (134–599) μm. Nine patients received anti-VEGF monotherapy and 5 had disease remission. Four patients received PDT and anti-VEGF combination treatment and all of the 4 had disease remission. In chronic CSC, pachyvessel characteristics are associated with subsequent PCV development. This result will assist clinicians to evaluate CSC in clinical practice and provide insights into the pathogenesis of PCV.