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Review
. 2025 Jul 16:S0039-6257(25)00121-3.
doi: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2025.07.004. Online ahead of print.

Chorioretinal folds: A review and update of new and old etiologies

John Yu Cheng  1 , David Hsu  1 , Alessandro Feo  2 , Vicki Liu  3 , Mostafa Mafi  4 , David Sarraf  5
Affiliations
Review

Chorioretinal folds: A review and update of new and old etiologies

John Yu Cheng et al. Surv Ophthalmol. .

Abstract

Chorioretinal or choroidal folds are wrinkles or undulations involving contiguous tissues including the anterior choroid, Bruch membrane, the retinal pigment epithelium, and in some cases the overlying neurosensory retina. These folds consist of alternating light and dark lines that may radiate from the optic disc or can be isolated to the macula or periphery. Chorioretinal folds can be the result of primary or secondary etiologies. Primary chorioretinal folds are due to hyperopia or idiopathic causes. Secondary folds are the result of secondary processes, such as mass compression, traction, or hypotony. Visual and anatomic outcomes and management strategies depend on the etiology of the folds. Multimodal imaging including color fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence, optical coherence tomography , fluorescein angiogram, and B-scan ultrasonography are integral to the diagnosis of chorioretinal folds and determination of the etiology. We summarize the principal mechanisms leading to chorioretinal folds and will review the diverse spectrum of etiologies, new and old. Choroidal folds-related maculopathy will also be described, a sequela of chorioretinal folds that can lead to vision loss.

Keywords: Chorioretinal folds; Chorioretinal folds-associated maculopathy; Chorioretinal folds-related maculopathy; Choroidal folds.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: David Sarraf reports a relationship with Amgen Inc that includes: consulting or advisory and funding grants. David Sarraf reports a relationship with Avecida Therapeutics that includes: consulting or advisory. David Sarraf reports a relationship with Boehringer Ingelheim Corp USA that includes: consulting or advisory and funding grants. David Sarraf reports a relationship with Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation that includes: consulting or advisory. David Sarraf reports a relationship with Genentech Inc that includes: consulting or advisory and funding grants. David Sarraf reports a relationship with Optovue Inc that includes: consulting or advisory, funding grants, and non-financial support. David Sarraf reports a relationship with Eidos Therapeutics that includes: non-financial support. N/A If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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