Did Vincent van Gogh paint the church of Auvers-sur-Oise with curved and wavering lines because that’s how he saw it? And what does it mean if we also see the world distorted in that way, as if we were looking at it through a bubble of water?
We find it interesting to recall an article published in l’Espresso on April 11, 2013, because it discusses central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR), an eye disease linked to stress, and explains how patients affected by it see the world, correlating the symptoms of CSCR with the forms depicted in Van Gogh’s famous painting, which he created during the most stressful period of his life.
Every disease presents more or less specific symptoms depending on the anatomical area affected. Many eye diseases cause symptoms involving the visual system, with more or less marked visual acuity deficits. Even though today an accurate diagnosis is increasingly based on the results of highly advanced diagnostic tests – instrumental, molecular, etc. – the search for a diagnosis almost always starts from the presence – and above all the recognition – of one or more symptoms: realizing that there is a problem is the first step to solving it, and for most diseases, including eye diseases, early diagnosis is essential for a successful treatment outcome.
Central serous chorioretinopathy is a rare disease – in fact, it affects 10 people out of 100,000 – but as it is linked to stress, it is increasing significantly in many countries. CSCR occurs due to a massive release of stress-related substances such as catecholamines, which cause swelling of the choroid – the vascular structure located under the retina – and the fissuring of the retinal tissue. The impairment of the retinal structure allows serum to pass from the choroid, accumulating beneath the retina.
In the presence of edema, the retinal tissue lifts, and patients feel as though they are seeing through a bubble of water. Prolonged anatomical damage to the retinal tissue can injure the photoreceptors – the nerve cells responsible for vision – so if CSCR is not diagnosed in time and properly treated, it may lead to permanent visual damage.
The distorted lines in Van Gogh’s painting outline shapes strikingly similar to those perceived by patients affected by central serous chorioretinopathy during an acute episode of the disease. The artist painted that piece during a time of intense stress, and in the canvases that followed, the distortions were no longer present. This detail also supports the hypothesis that Van Gogh may have suffered from central serous chorioretinopathy, as no other retinal disease that produces similar effects can spontaneously regress in that way.
CSCR can spontaneously regress, but it often recurs and may become chronic, posing a threat to retinal health and vision. It is important that this condition is correctly diagnosed and that an ophthalmologist specialized in retinal diseases suggests the appropriate steps to take toward healing.
With this article, we wanted to raise awareness about central serous chorioretinopathy and emphasize the importance of early diagnosis of this disease while drawing attention to its possible symptoms. Far from encouraging people to self-diagnose, if your vision suddenly becomes “strange” and the world appears distorted, as if seen through a bubble of water – or simply like the church of Auvers-sur-Oise – it is strongly advised to schedule a specialist eye examination immediately.
Dr. Jung Hee Levialdi Ghiron
Responsabile comunicazione scientifica Rome Vision Clinic
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