Abstract
Background/Objectives: We evaluated the clinical features and natural course of treatment-naïve non-exudative macular neovascularization (NE MNV) associated with age-related macular degeneration in Korean patients. Methods: This retrospective longitudinal study of 21 eyes of 21 patients with NE MNV involved a chart review of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT angiography parameters. Results: This study included 13 men (13/21, 61.9%) and 8 women (8/21, 38.1%), with a mean age of 71.5 ± 9.1 years. The average follow-up period was 15.1 ± 11.8 (range 6.0-49.6) months, and 14 eyes (66.7%) demonstrated exudative changes on OCT scans. The baseline BCVA was 0.15 ± 0.18 logMAR. The initial central macular thickness (CMT), subfoveal choroidal thickness, and the outer retinal layer thickness were 265.3 ± 37.1, 245.2 ± 95.2, and 86.6 ± 5.3 μm, respectively. Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that older age (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.096, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.002-1.200; p = 0.045), larger baseline CMT (HR: 1.025, 95% CI: 1.002-1.049; p = 0.035), and larger baseline MNV (HR: 1.618, 95% CI: 1.035-2.529; p = 0.035) were significant risk factors for exudative changes. Conclusions: We observed the clinical features and natural course of NE MNV in Korean patients and identified that significant risk factors for exudative changes in NE MNV included old age, initially thick CMT, and larger MNV size at baseline. For eyes with NE MNV that have risk factors of exudative conversion, more frequent observation is recommended to ensure the appropriate management.