Understanding Optic nerve drusen: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

Sign In

All Posts Conditions Community About

Explore Over 11,000+ Conditions, Medications, and Symptoms.

Get a personalized feed by signing up for free.

All Conditions

Optic nerve drusen

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

General

Optic nerve drusen are abnormal collections of protein and calcium that accumulate within the optic nerve. Drusen are often present in both eyes (bilateral), but sometimes occur in only one eye (unilateral).

11 people with Optic nerve drusen

Learn from others who are experiencing Optic nerve drusen.

Signs & symptoms

Although optic nerve drusen do not usually affect vision, peripheral vision loss may occur. It is usually mild and goes unnoticed by the patient. Visual field exams may be performed to monitor for decreased peripheral vision in older children. Choroidal neovascular membranes are an extremely rare complication of optic nerve drusen. These membranes are a collection of abnormal blood vessels that grow beneath the retina near the optic nerve. These membranes may rarely bleed, in which case they can cause a sudden decrease in central or "straight ahead" vision.

Diagnosis

Since they often lack symptoms, optic nerve drusen are usually found as an incidental finding by your ophthalmologist. They are usually diagnosed during your eye examination. Your ophthalmologist may observe obvious drusen after looking at your optic nerve following pharmacologic dilation. 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). Drusen can be inherited, so it may be helpful to examine other family members.

Treatment

There is no effective treatment for drusen. For the rare case of choroidal neovascularization laser treatment may be indicated to treat bleeding.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike

Alike Wisdom

Instantly get answers to medical questions with our AI, built from the collective wisdom of our community facing similar experiences

Alike is a transformative platform that goes beyond just bringing together patients; it meticulously connects individuals based on multiple critical factors, such as age, gender, comorbidities, medications, diet, and more, fostering a community of knowledge, support and empathy.

About Alike Wisdom Blog FAQ Editorial Team All Conditions All Posts All Communities Support

Your Privacy Stories Community Guidelines Terms of Use Privacy Policy Helplines Contact Us Group Chats Guidelines Moderation Process