Risk Factors and VEGF, hs-CRP, and ESR in Central Serous Chorioretinopathy.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and analyze the relationship between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and CSC.

METHODS

A total of 109 patients diagnosed with CSC (CSC group) at our ophthalmology clinic from February 2017 to February 2021 were included, with 103 volunteers from our hospital's health examination center serving as the control group. Additionally, the new multimodal imaging classification of 109 CSC patients was further divided into simple CSC (57 cases) and complex CSC (52 cases). Demographic data, underlying diseases, medical history, and medication history were collected. Levels of VEGF, hs-CRP, and ESR were measured, and multifactorial logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors influencing CSC. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to assess the diagnostic value of VEGF, hs-CRP, and ESR in CSC.

RESULTS

The CSC group showed a higher proportion of males, smoking history, alcohol consumption, comorbid obstructive sleep apnea, hypothyroidism, renal disease, infection, steroid use, and shift work compared to the control group ( < 0.05). VEGF, hs-CRP, and ESR levels were significantly higher in the CSC group than in the control group ( < 0.05). The levels of VEGF, hs-CRP, and ESR in the complex CSC group were higher than those in the simple CSC group ( < 0.05). Male gender, shift work, infection, hypothyroidism, elevated VEGF, hs-CRP, and ESR were identified as risk factors for CSC ( < 0.05). The combined diagnostic value of VEGF, hs-CRP, and ESR (area under the ROC curve: 0.886) was higher than that of individual markers (0.722, 0.728, and 0.703, respectively) ( < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Male gender, shift work, infection, hypothyroidism, and elevated levels of VEGF, hs-CRP, and ESR are risk factors for CSC. The combined use of VEGF, hs-CRP, and ESR demonstrates higher diagnostic efficiency in identifying CSC.