Using Max 2017 and DB from the 8th - simple scene, one box , camera looking at it, default Corona light behind the camera. if I check Lights under Hide by Category, then the light no longer works (I get a black scene, see attached). If I uncheck Lights, it renders as expected.
Using Max 2017 and Corona 1.4, this doesn't happen - Hide by Category has no effect on whether the light shows up in the render, which would be correct. Hide by Category should just be hiding things in the viewport, not in the render.
NOTE - the grab has the history open, was comparing a more involved scene where I stumbled across this sorry about that, but it is a black scene in the Post area too :)