Partial Spontaneous Regression of the Late-Onset Choroidal Neovascularization after Full-Thickness Macular Hole Surgery without Anti-VEGF Therapy: A Case Report

Case Reports in Ophthalmology, 2026

Full text Open access: Gold Metadata (CSL-JSON)
DOI 10.1159/000553614
Data confidence 70 medium
How this score is calculated

It is built from checkable properties of the record itself: whether the article has a DOI, how many independent sources confirmed its data, whether the required fields are filled in, and how recent the latest confirmation is. Disagreement between sources and a missing identifier lower it. A value of 80 or above means the record was published without further checking; 60 to 79 means it is published at reduced confidence, with a manual check advisable. A record verified by an editor by hand is never pushed below 90 by a recalculation. This scores our data about the article, not the article itself.

Abstract

Introduction: The development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) following macular surgery, including repair of full-thickness macular holes (FTMHs), is a clinically significant but rare complication, particularly in patients with pre-existing retinal pigment epithelium-Bruch's membrane complex changes. Case presentation: We report a 71-year-old female patient who developed CNV in the right eye following surgical treatment for an FTMH. Regular monthly follow-up examinations allowed us to track the dynamics of the disease. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fluorescein angiography initially suggested stability. However, approximately 7 months post-surgery, a structural debut of exudative changes was observed. Anti-VEGF therapy was not administered to this eye, allowing for the observation of the natural course, which included progression followed by partial spontaneous regression. Conclusion: Our case highlights the importance of regular OCT monitoring after macular hole surgery in patients with AMD risk factors. While structural stability was maintained for months, the sudden debut of exudation and its subsequent wavelike fluctuation without treatment underscores the complex natural history of post-surgical CNV.