Evaluation of the therapeutic effects of smoking cessation on chronic central serous chorioretinopathy

Although there have been reports that cigarette smoking is a risk factor for the development of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR), there have been no reports that have determined whether smoking cessation is helpful in the resolution of CSCR. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of smoking cessation on chronic CSCR. Fifty-two eyes of 45 patients (22 smokers and 23 nonsmokers) diagnosed with chronic CSCR at our hospital from January 2016 to February 2023 were studied. All patients with CSCR were instructed to take lutein supplements and, if they were smokers, to quit. Among the 52 eyes with chronic CSCR, 33 (63.5%) improved after that instruction, 14 (26.9%) required a laser for CSCR resolution, and 5 (9.6%) had persistent CSCR. Among the 22 smokers who received smoking cessation instructions, 16 stopped smoking, and 6 reduced their smoking to one or two per day. The rate of improvement without laser photocoagulation in chronic CSCR was significantly higher in smokers (77.8%) than in nonsmokers (48.0%) (p = 0.026). The results indicate that chronic CSCR patients who smoke have a higher rate of improvement when they quit smoking than CSCR patients who do not smoke. This study is the first to demonstrate that reducing the risk factor for smoking is a useful initial treatment for CSCR patients who smoke.