Comparison of Panmacular Versus Minimal Micropulse Laser Therapy in Central Serous Chorioretinopathy

Central serous retinopathy is a disease of poorly understood etiology characterized by accumulation of subretinal fluid and leading to significant decrease in vision. Micropulse laser therapy has been successfully used in the treatment of CSR of both acute and chronic types (1). In this treatment invisible, non-damaging laser shots are delivered to the affected area which are believed to lead to absorption of accumulated fluid. The mechanism of fluid resorption is unclear. There are several treatment protocols in place (2, 3). Most commonly reported are minimal protocol and so-called panmacular protocol. However, there is no comparative study between them assessing their clinical efficacy.

The purpose of this trial is to compare treatment efficacy in central serous chorioretinopathy (CSR) using two laser parameter settings. Those will include minimal and panmacular protocols. Two wavelengths will be used 577nm and 810 nm for which the rest of the parameters will be defined in order to produce sublethal photostimulation. Structural and functional outcomes will be compared before and after treatment as well as measures such as number of repeat treatments or need for rescue treatment. We aim to show which of the laser arms will lead to better clinical outcomes.