Purpose

To investigate choroidal blood flow changes after isometric exercise in patients with chronic central serous chorioretinopathy nontreated or treated with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA).

Methods

Foveolar choroidal laser Doppler flowmetry parameters – velocity (ChVel), volume (ChVol) and blood flow (ChBF) – of 22 eyes of 22 treated patients, 16 eyes of 16 untreated patients and 19 healthy controls were measured during a squatting test. Treatment consisted in MRA administration (eplerenone 50 mg/day or spironolactone 50 mg/day). The experiment comprised three successive periods: 30 seconds of rest, 2 min of continuous squatting exercise, and 150 seconds of recovery. Significance levels were calculated using a generalized estimating equation.

Results

During the squatting period, nontreated CSCR eyes had a similar change in ChVel (p = 0.8), ChVol (p = 0.8), ChBF (p = 0.5) and resistance to healthy eyes. Treated CSCR eyes exhibited significantly smaller changes in ChVel (−0.1 ± 11%, p = 0.04) than healthy eyes (6 ± 8%). No significant difference was found for ChVol and ChBF between the groups. The increase in ChVol from baseline in the nontreated CSCR group (4.4 ± 9%) was lower than that of treated group (6.7%±11%; p = 0.01). Finally, ChBF and ChVel changes in the CSCR groups were not significantly different.

Conclusions

No abnormalities were detected in the changes in ChBF parameters during increased ocular perfusion pressure in nontreated CSCR patients compared with controls. MRA treatment in CSCR patients induced a significant reduction in ChBVel and an increase in ChBVol in response to isometric exercise, suggesting that MRA exerts effects on choroidal vascular changes.