What does drusen look like?
Drusen are the defining feature of macular degeneration. These small yellow or white spots on the retina can be detected by an ophthalmologist during a dilated eye exam or with retinal photography. People with more than a few small drusen are said to have early age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Are drusen visible?
Drusen occur in about 1% of people, more commonly in caucasians. They are typically not present at birth. They become visible to eye doctors usually in the teens, and may become more prominent with age.
Can drusen be misdiagnosed?
The diagnosis of ODD is very easy in cases with superficial ODD, but most young children with ODD present with elevated optic discs due to buried drusen. Therefore, children and young adults are particularly vulnerable to misdiagnosis, such as papilledema.
How is optic nerve drusen diagnosed?
Obvious drusen are usually present on the surface of the optic nerve. Some optic nerve drusen are “buried.” Buried drusen can be more difficult to observe and diagnosis may require the use of imaging (ultrasound or CT scan), photography (fluorescein angiography/autoflourescence), or optical coherence tomography (OCT).
Can drusen cause headaches?
Conclusions: Our study suggests that a majority of patients with optic disc drusen have non-specific symptoms such as visual obscurations, visual field defects and headaches despite maintaining good visual acuity. Most of the optic discs appeared abnormal, but visible drusen were observed in less than half.
What can drusen lead to?
Small drusen may not cause problems for some people, but larger drusen can increase your risk of a medical condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Drusen can be a sign that you already have age-related macular degeneration.
How do you tell the difference between drusen and exudate?
Exudates are caused by leaking fatty deposits from blood vessels and appear in compact groups, whereas drusen are believed to be a result of a reduced capacity of the retina to cleanse waste products from the photoreceptors and can appear over the whole retina.
Can drusen be benign?
When small and few, drusen are generally benign. If the amount or size of these deposits increases, the risk of dry age-related macular degeneration develops. Age-related macular degeneration, AMD, is a leading cause of vision loss.
How common is optic nerve head drusen?
Optic nerve head drusen (ONHD) are globular, often calcified, hyaline bodies located within the optic nerve head. The incidence of ONHD is 3.4 per 1000 in clinical studies; however, a higher rate of 10 to 20 per 1000 has been reported in autopsy studies.
Can you see drusen on MRI?
In our study, MRI was not valuable in diagnosing drusen of the optic nerve head since no case revealed any changes in the region of the optic nerve head consistent with the diagnosis of drusen. We know of only one report describing an eye with drusen demonstrated by detection of optic disc transparency in the MRI.