Prevalence of central serous chorioretinopathy in Denmark

Purpose: Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a prevalent maculopathy, but epidemiological studies are few. In this study, we determined the prevalence of CSC for the first time in a Scandinavian population.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on nationwide opportunistic retinal examination from 79 high street chain optician stores in Denmark. Retinal imaging was made using non-mydriatic colour fundus photography. Any abnormal result in the optometrist-facilitated retinal examination was referred to tele-ophthalmologic evaluation, which was performed by experienced consultant ophthalmologists who diagnosed CSC.

Results: During the 4-year study period, a total of 968 610 unique individuals underwent retinal examination, which corresponded to 16.3% of the entire population of Denmark. Of these, 113 individuals were diagnosed with CSC, which corresponded to a prevalence of 14 per 100 000. Individuals with CSC presented at a mean age of 48.2 ± 12.3 years; however, CSC was present in a large age range as both teenagers and the elderly with CSC were identified. Male biological sex was a statistically significant risk factor (odds ratio: 2.33; 95% confidence interval: 1.64-3.33, p < 0.0001). By extrapolating prevalence numbers to population statistics, we estimate that 219 females and 511 males had CSC in Denmark in December 2022.

Conclusion: We identified a prevalence of 14 per 100 000, confirmed male biological sex as a significant risk factor for CSC, and found that the disease most commonly occurs among individuals aged 30-60 years. Further studies with multimodal imaging including optical coherence tomography are warranted for better accuracy.