Elevated Choroidal Thickness and Central Serous Chorioretinopathy in the Fellow Eyes of Patients with Circumscribed Choroidal Hemangioma

Objective: To determine whether increased choroidal thickness (CT) is associated with circumscribed choroidal hemangioma (CCH) and whether patients with CCH are predisposed to central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR). Methods: We performed a retrospective consecutive observational study of 15 fellow eyes of 15 patients who had CCH. A- and B-scan ultrasonography, fluorescein angiography (FA), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings were reviewed to confirm the diagnosis of CCH. Fellow eye CT was measured using enhanced depth imaging OCT. FA, indocyanine green angiography, and OCT images of fellow eyes were reviewed for signs of CSCR. Results: Mean subfoveal CT was significantly greater in the fellow eyes of patients with CCH than in age-matched normal eyes (p = 0.004). Three of 15 (20.0%) fellow eyes of CCH patients had retinal pigment epithelium disruptions and/or pigment epithelial detachments indicative of previous asymptomatic CSCR. Conclusion: In this pilot study, elevated CT was associated with a risk of developing CCH as well as CSCR in patients of varying ages. Patients diagnosed with CCH should be screened for CSCR in the fellow eye. Further exploration of this association may reveal useful clues about the biology of abnormally elevated choroidal hyperpermeability and its various clinical manifestations.