Mira Silbert Aumiller1. 1. Wilmington Veterans Administration Medical Center, Wilmington, Delaware 19805, USA. msaumiller@yahoo.com
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Disc drusen have been found clinically in 0.3% of the population with up to 91% presenting bilaterally. Disc drusen gradually change in their ophthalmoscopic appearance throughout a patient's lifespan. This case highlights the possible ocular complications of disc drusen and the complexity in their treatment because of the risk of visual acuity loss. CASE REPORT: A 43-year-old patient with documented bilateral buried disc drusen presented without symptoms for a routine examination. A subretinal neovascular membrane (SNVM) one quarter of a disc diameter in size with an adjacent subretinal hemorrhage was observed in the right eye with a small subretinal hemorrhage in the fellow eye. The patient was evaluated by a retinologist who deferred photocoagulation of the SNVM considering its nasal disc location. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosing disc drusen is critical because of the serious pathology they can mimic, including disc edema. Although typically benign, patients with disc drusen should be monitored on a regular basis to rule out ocular complications, which can be potentially sight threatening.
BACKGROUND: Disc drusen have been found clinically in 0.3% of the population with up to 91% presenting bilaterally. Disc drusen gradually change in their ophthalmoscopic appearance throughout a patient's lifespan. This case highlights the possible ocular complications of disc drusen and the complexity in their treatment because of the risk of visual acuity loss. CASE REPORT: A 43-year-old patient with documented bilateral buried disc drusen presented without symptoms for a routine examination. A subretinal neovascular membrane (SNVM) one quarter of a disc diameter in size with an adjacent subretinal hemorrhage was observed in the right eye with a small subretinal hemorrhage in the fellow eye. The patient was evaluated by a retinologist who deferred photocoagulation of the SNVM considering its nasal disc location. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosing disc drusen is critical because of the serious pathology they can mimic, including disc edema. Although typically benign, patients with disc drusen should be monitored on a regular basis to rule out ocular complications, which can be potentially sight threatening.