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Updated: Sep 13, 2026
A Protocol to Evaluate and Quantify Retinal Pigmented Epithelium Pathologies in Mouse Models of Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Published on: March 10, 2023
Progression from intermediate to neovascular age-related macular degeneration according to drusen subtypes: Bundang
Kyoung Lae Kim1,2, Kwangsic Joo1, Sang Jun Park1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
Purpose:
To investigate the ophthalmic risk factors related to neovascular change and the subtype-wise incidence of progression from intermediate to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Methods:
In this retrospective cohort study, 632 eyes with intermediate AMD from 418 patients (older than 50 years) were enrolled. The systemic factors and ophthalmic factors were statistically analysed with respect to neovascular change.
Results:
The 5-year cumulative incidence of progression to neovascular AMD (nAMD) from intermediate AMD was 17.8% and 17.0% in eyes with soft drusen and pachydrusen (p = 0.316). Older age (p = 0.025), preexisting nAMD in the fellow eye (p < 0.001), and reticular pseudodrusen (RPD; p = 0.007) were associated with the risk of progression to nAMD. In reference to soft drusen, pachydrusen was associated with progression to polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV; p < 0.001) and not to typical nAMD (p = 0.064).
Conclusions:
The ophthalmic risk factors related to the progression of nAMD from intermediate AMD were found to be preexisting nAMD in the fellow eye and RPD. Pachydrusen showed a similar incidence of neovascular change with soft drusen, and was associated with the progression to PCV but not to typical nAMD.
