Evaluation of carotid intima-media thickness measurements in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy.

Background: Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a systemic disease more than a disease localized to the eye, and there may be vascular involvement in its pathogenesis.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) of patients with CSC, to compare it with that of healthy individuals, and to explore whether there might be an association between CSC and subclinical carotid atherosclerotic disease.

Materials and methods: Adult patients with CSC (n = 30) and healthy individuals (n = 30) were included in this prospective study. All participants underwent complete ophthalmologic imaging and were then referred to the radiology department. Carotid IMT measurements were performed using ultrasound imaging. Measurements of the two groups were obtained and compared.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference between patients with CSC and the control group with respect to age, gender, and smoking habits. The mean (±standard deviation, SD) carotid IMT values obtained by ultrasound measurements for the right and left sides in the patient group were 0.71 mm (± 0.19) and 0.71 mm (± 0.21), respectively. The mean (±SD) carotid IMT values for the right and left sides in the control group were 0.61 mm (± 0.15) and 0.60 mm (± 0.15), respectively. The mean carotid IMT values in the patient group were significantly higher than those in the control group for the right and left sides (p = 0.02 and p = 0.03, respectively).

Conclusion: Carotid IMT is increased in patients with CSC compared to healthy individuals. This outcome might reinforce the benefit of carotid artery screening following diagnosis of CSC by ophthalmologists for early detection of subclinical carotid atherosclerotic disease.