Submacular surgery to remove choroidal neovascularization associated with central serous chorioretinopathy

PURPOSE: To report the results of submacular surgery for removal of choroidal neovascularization associated with central serous chorioretinopathy. METHODS: Ten eyes of nine consecutive patients with central serous chorioretinopathy and subfoveal or juxtafoveal choroidal neovascularization underwent pars plana vitrectomy with removal of the choroidal neovascular membrane between January 1994 and January 1999.RESULTS: All 10 eyes (nine patients) were followed postoperatively for at least 6 months. The mean postoperative follow-up was 23 months (range, 6 to 56.5 months). The patients were followed for an average of 6.2 months from the time of symptoms to the removal of the choroidal neovascularization. Preoperative mean best-corrected visual acuity was 20/100 (range, 20/25 to 20/400), and postoperative best-corrected mean visual acuity was 20/60 + 2 (range, 20/20 to 20/400). Seven eyes had improved postoperative visual acuity, with an average of 3.4 lines gained. Of the three eyes that had worse acuity, an average of 1.3 lines of visual acuity was lost; final mean postoperative visual acuity was 20/80 + 1 (range, 20/25 to 20/400). Of the six eyes with symptoms of less than 3 months' duration, four had a final visual acuity of 20/50 or better. All three eyes with 20/300 or worse final visual acuity had loss of foveal retinal pigment epithelium after surgery; the remaining eyes had preserved retinal pigment epithelium with a visual acuity of 20/70 or better. Two eyes had intraoperative peripheral retinal tears, and two eyes had recurrence of the choroidal neovascular complex. CONCLUSIONS: The anatomic and visual results in eyes with choroidal neovascularization associated with central serous chorioretinopathy are modestly encouraging and suggest that submacular surgery for choroidal neovascularization in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy is a treatment option that may salvage good macular function in some eyes.