Central serous chorioretinopathy and Helicobacter pylori

PURPOSE. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). METHODS. Retrospective observational case series. A group of 23 patients (22 men and 1 woman, age range 34-62 years, median age 47 years) with diagnosis of CSC, confirmed by fluorescein angiogram, and a control group of 23 consecutive patients (22 men and 1 woman, age range 41-69 years, median age 50 years) referred to our Department for retinal disease other than CSC were studied. Each patient provided peripheral venous blood samples and a stool specimen, which were analyzed at the Department of Gastroenterology and Microbiology at the same university. H. pylori infection was determined by measurement of IgG antibodies to H. pylori and by determination of H. pylori antigens in the stool specimens by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. Patients were defined as H. pylori infected if both tests were positive. RESULTS. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 78.2% (95% CI, 56%-92%) in CSC patients and 43.5% (95% CI, 23%-65%) in control subjects (p < 0.03 by two-tailed Fisher exact test). The odds ratio for CSC associated with H. pylori infection was 4.6 (95% CI 1.28-16.9). CONCLUSIONS. The results of this study show that the prevalence of H. pylori infection seems to be significantly higher in patients with CSC than in controls. H. pylori infection may represent a risk factor in patients with CSC.