Posterior scleritis misdiagnosed as central serous chorioretinopathy: Case report

This case report describes a 39-year-old male presenting with serous retinal detachment (SRD) who was initially misdiagnosed with acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). CSC is typically a self-limiting condition, but recurrence occurs in approximately 30–50 % of patients depending on risk fac...

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Main Authors: Lina Jiangbolati, Yan Gao, Qing Peng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1572100025001875
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author Lina Jiangbolati
Yan Gao
Qing Peng
author_facet Lina Jiangbolati
Yan Gao
Qing Peng
author_sort Lina Jiangbolati
collection DOAJ
description This case report describes a 39-year-old male presenting with serous retinal detachment (SRD) who was initially misdiagnosed with acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). CSC is typically a self-limiting condition, but recurrence occurs in approximately 30–50 % of patients depending on risk factors and disease chronicity. He received antibiotics for suspected infection, but his symptoms persisted without corticosteroid use. After referral to our hospital, posterior scleritis was confirmed through inflammation signs, multimodal imaging (showing optic disc edema, extending SRD, thickened eyewall, and ciliary body detachment), and elevated systemic inflammatory biomarkers. Methylprednisolone therapy relieved symptoms within four days. Follow-up at four months showed complete SRD resolution and choroidal fold regression.This case highlights the diagnostic challenge in patients with SRD, where demographic assumptions—such as the tendency to associate CSC with young males—may delay recognition of inflammatory etiologies like posterior scleritis. Corticosteroids, which may worsen CSC, are essential for treating posterior scleritis—highlighting the critical need for accurate differentiation to avoid therapeutic missteps and irreversible vision loss. Definitive diagnosis necessitates synthesizing ocular examination findings, systemic biomarkers, and multimodal imaging. Clinicians must prioritize integrating clinical, imaging, and laboratory data over relying on isolated SRD or demographic stereotypes to guide management in complex ophthalmic cases.
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spelling doaj-art-2d0acfc35b314a3b94c93a04edca80be2025-06-28T05:29:39ZengElsevierPhotodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy1572-10002025-08-0154104655Posterior scleritis misdiagnosed as central serous chorioretinopathy: Case reportLina Jiangbolati0Yan Gao1Qing Peng2Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Ophthalmology, Shanxi Eye Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China; Corresponding author at: Department of Ophthalmology, Shanxi Eye Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, No. 100 Fudong Street, Xinghualing District, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Corresponding author at: Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, 301 Yanchang Middle Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, China.This case report describes a 39-year-old male presenting with serous retinal detachment (SRD) who was initially misdiagnosed with acute central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). CSC is typically a self-limiting condition, but recurrence occurs in approximately 30–50 % of patients depending on risk factors and disease chronicity. He received antibiotics for suspected infection, but his symptoms persisted without corticosteroid use. After referral to our hospital, posterior scleritis was confirmed through inflammation signs, multimodal imaging (showing optic disc edema, extending SRD, thickened eyewall, and ciliary body detachment), and elevated systemic inflammatory biomarkers. Methylprednisolone therapy relieved symptoms within four days. Follow-up at four months showed complete SRD resolution and choroidal fold regression.This case highlights the diagnostic challenge in patients with SRD, where demographic assumptions—such as the tendency to associate CSC with young males—may delay recognition of inflammatory etiologies like posterior scleritis. Corticosteroids, which may worsen CSC, are essential for treating posterior scleritis—highlighting the critical need for accurate differentiation to avoid therapeutic missteps and irreversible vision loss. Definitive diagnosis necessitates synthesizing ocular examination findings, systemic biomarkers, and multimodal imaging. Clinicians must prioritize integrating clinical, imaging, and laboratory data over relying on isolated SRD or demographic stereotypes to guide management in complex ophthalmic cases.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1572100025001875ScleritisCentral Serous ChorioretinopathyMisdiagnosisTherapyOCT
spellingShingle Lina Jiangbolati
Yan Gao
Qing Peng
Posterior scleritis misdiagnosed as central serous chorioretinopathy: Case report
Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy
Scleritis
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Misdiagnosis
Therapy
OCT
title Posterior scleritis misdiagnosed as central serous chorioretinopathy: Case report
title_full Posterior scleritis misdiagnosed as central serous chorioretinopathy: Case report
title_fullStr Posterior scleritis misdiagnosed as central serous chorioretinopathy: Case report
title_full_unstemmed Posterior scleritis misdiagnosed as central serous chorioretinopathy: Case report
title_short Posterior scleritis misdiagnosed as central serous chorioretinopathy: Case report
title_sort posterior scleritis misdiagnosed as central serous chorioretinopathy case report
topic Scleritis
Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Misdiagnosis
Therapy
OCT
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1572100025001875
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AT qingpeng posteriorscleritismisdiagnosedascentralserouschorioretinopathycasereport