Correlation between functional and anatomical assessments by multifocal electroretinography and optical coherence tomography in central serous chorioretinopathy

To evaluate the correlation between functional and anatomical assessments with multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). Thirty-four eyes of 34 patients with acute CSC underwent mfERG and OCT examinations. First-order mfERG N1 and P1 response amplitudes and latencies were analyzed. OCT parameters measured included central subretinal fluid (SRF) thickness, central retinal thickness, total central foveal thickness, vertical, and horizontal diameters of SRF, and macular volume. Correlation analyses were performed between best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), mfERG parameters, and OCT measurements. Correlation analysis showed that logMAR BCVA was significantly correlated with mfERG N1 amplitudes of rings 1 and 2 (P = 0.006), N1 latency of ring 4 (P = 0.012), and P1 latency of ring 1 (P = 0.036). No significant correlation was observed between logMAR BCVA and any of the OCT measurements. For the correlation between mfERG parameters and OCT measurements, mfERG N1 and P1 latencies of the paracentral rings were significantly correlated with the central SRF thickness (P ≤ 0.024), diameters of the SRF (P ≤ 0.018), and macular volume (P ≤ 0.030). MfERG responses but not OCT measurements correlated with logMAR BCVA in patients with acute CSC. The amount of SRF nonetheless correlated with the mfERG N1 and P1 latencies of the paracentral rings, suggesting that impairment in the conduction of electrical responses in the paracentral macula is proportional to the severity of serous macular detachment in CSC. MfERG and OCT can complement each other in the functional and anatomical assessments in CSC.