AIM: To analyze the characteristic shapes of cystoid macular edema(CME)and the macular edema(ME)caused by central serous chorioretinopathy(CSC)through optical coherence tomography(OCT)examination, and to analyze the accumulate liquid in retina to explain their relationships with blood-retina barrier.

METHODS: A total of 29 cases(30 eyes)with relative disease were enrolled, including one case with both eyes selected. The macular area of all patients was scanned by OCT horizontally and vertically.

RESULTS: The OCT images of CME indicated: there were a lot of low reflection dark regions which had an oval honeycomb structure andcystoid shape; these regions were found between the outer nuclear layer and inner plexiform layer of retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL); cyst wall appeared to be existed. The OCT images of ME result from CSC indicated: there were low reflection dark regions between photoreceptor inner segment/outer segment(IS/OS)junction layer and retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)layer; the RNFL was upheaved; RPE presented strong reflection but its shape was not different with that of normal macular.

CONCLUSION: The image of OCT is a type of sectional anatomyfigures, the cystoids of CME exist not only in the outer plexiform layer, but also in the outer nuclear layer. The characteristic shapes of accumulated liquid of CME and CSC prove the existence of inner-outer barrier in retina.