Comparison of short-term efficacy between oral spironolactone treatment and photodynamic therapy for the treatment of nonresolving central serous chorioretinopathy

Purpose:To compare the short-term therapeutic efficacy of oral spironolactone treatment with that of half-dose photodynamic therapy (PDT) in patients with nonresolving central serous chorioretinopathy.Methods:This retrospective, interventional, comparative study included 41 patients with nonresolving central serous chorioretinopathy who exhibited subretinal fluid accumulation for more than 3 months. Of the 41 patients, 18 (18 eyes) received oral spironolactone treatment and 23 (23 eyes) received half-dose PDT. Treatment outcomes, including the central macular thickness, subretinal fluid height, subfoveal choroidal thickness, and best-corrected visual acuity, were measured at baseline and 1 and 3 months after treatment.Results:There were no differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. The central macular thickness and the subretinal fluid height significantly decreased at 1 and 3 months after treatment. The central macular thickness at 1 month was lesser in the PDT group than in the spironolactone group. The subfoveal choroidal thickness decreased at 1 and 3 months only in the PDT group, whereas best-corrected visual acuity showed a significant improvement at 3 months in both groups.Conclusion:Our results suggest that the short-term efficacy of oral spironolactone treatment for the management of nonresolving central serous chorioretinopathy is comparable with that of half-dose PDT, with an excellent safety profile.