Clinical efficiency of Helicobacter pylori eradication in the treatment of patients with acute central serous chorioretinopathy.

BACKGROUND: Although the majority of cases of acute central serous chorioretinopathy are self-limited, resolving spontaneously after a number of weeks, the recurrence rate is estimated to be 20-50 %, and some cases will be chronic, lasting 6 months or longer. The evidence of Helicobacter pylori infection appears more often in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy. The purpose of this work was to estimate the efficiency of H. pylori infection eradication in treatment of patients with acute central serous chorioretinopathy.

METHODS: Ninety-three patients with acute central serous chorioretinopathy participated in this study. Patients were divided into an experimental group (33 Helicobacter pylori-positive patients who received eradication treatment) and two control groups who did not receive eradication treatment: 29 H. pylori-positive patients and 31 H. pylori-negative patients. Research methods were best-corrected Snellen visual acuity, optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography. Research methods were best-corrected Snellen visual acuity, optical coherence tomography, static perimetry, and Amsler grid. The follow-up period was 2 years.

RESULTS: Helicobacter pylori eradication caused a decrease of disease duration at 3 months (p = 0.04) and recurrence frequency of 45.6 % (p = 0.03) as well as improvement of distant prognosis. After 2 years, visual acuity increased from 0.91 ± 0.07 to 0.99 ± 0.02 (p = 0.01), scotoma frequency decreased from 100 % eyes to 27.2 % (p = 0.001), and metamorphopsia frequency decreased from 57.6 % eyes to 39.4 % (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS: Helicobacter pylori eradication is effective in the treatment of H. pylori-positive patients with acute central serous chorioretinopathy.