The aim of this study was to explore the relative prevalence and clinical differences between age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and pachychoroid disease in patients older than 50 years with newly diagnosed exudative neovascular maculopathy, and also assess the rate of misdiagnosis between these two disorders. In this retrospective observational study, we reviewed data from patients 50 years of age and older with newly diagnosed treatment-naïve exudative macular neovascularization (MNV) secondary to AMD or pachychoroid disease. Of the 139 patients (139 eyes) who fulfilled the inclusion criteria, 35 patients were graded as being affected by pachychoroid disease complicated by exudative MNV and 104 subjects had neovascular AMD. Therefore, prevalence of pachychoroid disease complicated by exudative MNV was 25.2% (confidence interval—CI 18.2–33.2%). Mean ± SD age was 67.0 ± 8.8 years in the pachychoroid disease group and 80.6 ± 6.6 years in the neovascular AMD group (P < 0.0001). At baseline, BCVA was better in patients with pachychoroid disease complicated by exudative MNV (0.4 ± 0.3 LogMAR vs. 0.7 ± 0.5 LogMAR, P = 0.003). At the 1-year follow-up visit, BCVA was still better in patients with pachychoroid-associated MNV (0.34 ± 0.32 LogMAR vs. 0.59 ± 0.52 LogMAR; P = 0.005). In our study cohort, 19 patients were graded to be affected by pachychoroid disease complicated by exudative MNV even though a diagnosis of neovascular AMD was erroneously reported in their medical records at baseline. In conclusion, pachychoroid disease is a frequent cause of exudative MNV in aged patients with a high rate of misdiagnosis. A correct diagnosis may be important as these two disorders differ in terms of clinical characteristics and prognosis.

这项研究的目的是探讨年龄在50岁以上新诊断的渗出性新血管黄斑病患者中年龄相关性黄斑变性（AMD）和脉络膜疾病之间的相对患病率和临床差异，并评估这两种疾病之间的误诊率。在这项回顾性观察性研究中，我们回顾了50岁及以上患有新诊断为AMD或脉络膜疾病的初治渗出性黄斑新生血管（MNV）的患者的数据。在符合入组标准的139例患者（139眼）中，有35例被分级为患有脉络膜鳞状血管病并发渗出性MNV，104例患有新血管性AMD。因此，并发渗出性MNV的脉络膜疾病的患病率为25.2％（置信区间为CI 18.2–33）。2％）。脉络膜疾病组的平均±SD年龄为67.0±8.8岁，新生血管AMD组的平均±SD年龄为80.6±6.6岁（P  <0.0001）。基线时，重症脉络膜疾病并发渗出性MNV的患者的BCVA更好（0.4±0.3 LogMAR vs. 0.7±0.5 LogMAR，P  = 0.003）。在为期一年的随访中，与脉络膜相关性MNV患者的BCVA仍然更好（0.34±0.32 LogMAR vs. 0.59±0.52 LogMAR；P  = 0.005）。在我们的研究队列中，尽管基线时医疗记录错误地报告了新血管性AMD的诊断，但仍有19例患者被脉络膜脉络膜疾病并发渗出性MNV影响。综上所述，脉络膜疾病是高位误诊率高的老年患者渗出性MNV的常见原因。正确的诊断可能很重要，因为这两种疾病的临床特征和预后不同。