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CSR List of Categories
- What is the
treatment for CSR (Central Serous Retinopathy)?
- I have CSR.
What can I expect over time?
- What is CSR?
-
What is the
treatment for CSR (Central Serous Retinopathy)?
There is no effective clinical treatment for the condition.Laser treatment has been used but research results suggest that the treatment does not improve the long term outcomes. The laser therapy effectively 'burns' the leak shut, but can cause damage.
It can be used to overcome the immediate problem, for example if an attack is preventing studying for examinations. This may also be useful if an attack goes on for a long time - more than a couple of months, depending on how severe the attack is. A long standing attack can cause permanent damage to the retina and in this case laser treatment may be a good idea as a way to prevent permanent damage.
Recently more refined laser treatments have been used as certain frequencies of light cause less damage than standard frequencies.
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- I have CSR. What can I expect over time?
Central Serous Retinopathy recurrences are quite common and damage can accumulate over time. Significant, disabling damage can accumulate over time. If the detachment persists for too long the retina is starved of nutrients and can be damaged permanently, with a permanent gray area or a blind spot. The likelihood of recurrences is higher if the initial attack is more severe. There are wide variations in the estimates of recurrence rates. Opinions also vary on the risk of the condition occurring in the other eye. Often patients are told that recurrences are rare, and that there is no need for concern. While this may be true in many cases, there is reason to doubt that this complacent attitude is correct.A long term study of patients with CSR found that 50% of patients get the severe and extensive form of the disease after 12 years of evolution. It may be that the complacent attitude of clinicians is a result of the fact that they provide no effective treatment, so patients drift away and there is no long term visibility to the evolution of the condition.
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- What is CSR?
CSR (Central Serous Retinopathy) is a condition which causes temporary or permanent impairment of vision. The symptoms are loss of sensitivity in dim light, usually in an oval shaped gray or brown area, blurring or distortion of the visual image. It is a result of the detachment of most of the layers of the retina (the back of the eye) from its supporting tissue as a result of the buildup of fluid. The buildup of fluid appears to be due to one or more small breaks in the retinal pigment epithelium.The term "idiopathic CSR" which you may see used simply means that the cause is not known. It affects primarily males between 20-45 and is associated with stress. For example, airline pilots suffer from it at a high rate, and some people find that attacks go away if they go on vacation. There have been some attempts to classify different forms of the disease but they are tentative and not linked to different causes or treatments.
Outcomes Usually the fluid build up disappears after a few weeks to a few months with little long term damage. During this time the condition often fluctuates wildly on a daily or hourly basis. It particularly gets worse when under stress, tired or ill.
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- I have CSR. What can I expect over time?
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