3-DIMENSIONAL MEASUREMENTS OF CENTRAL SEROUS CHORIORETINOPATHY USING A SCANNING LASER TOMOGRAPH

PURPOSE: To evaluate the topographic three-dimensional mapping of reti nal elevation in central serous chorioretinopathy using the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph and to correlate the measured parameters with the fl uorescein angiographic findings. METHODS: Seventy-six consecutive pati ents with central serous chorioretinopathy (63 men, 13 women), between 26 and 54 years of age, were examined to identify areas of neurosenso ry retinal detachment and fluorescein leakage. In areas of retinal det achment, the parameters measured were the area, volume, maximal height , and diameters of the retinal elevation, which were statistically ana lyzed, and the correlations between these parameters were evaluated. R ESULTS: Mean +/- SD area of elevation was 9.6 +/- 5.22 mm(2) (range, 2 .7 to 21.5 mm(2)); mean volume was 1.16 +/- 1.3 mm(3) (range, 0.11 to 4.73 mm(3)); mean maximal height was 238 +/- 108 mu m (range, 97 to 45 0 mu m); mean x-axis was 3.4 +/- 1.1 mm (range, 1.6 to 5.6 mm); and me an y-axis was 3.03 +/- 0.98 mm (range, 1.6 to 4.7 mm). Most of the ret inal elevations were oval (the x-axis longer than the y-axis); the max imal height was in the geometric center in the smaller blebs and below the geometric center in the larger blebs. There were statistically si gnificant correlations between area, volume, and height of the sensory elevation. No correlation was found between the location and the shap e of leakage on fluorescein angiography and the Heidelberg Retina Tomo graph measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Confocal laser tomography is potentia lly useful as a noninvasive diagnostic technique for quantitative meas urements of the neurosensory retinal detachment in central serous chor ioretinopathy.