Drusen Of Optic Nerve Simulating Papilledema

Abstract

"Drusen" is the name applied to hyaline substances occasionally found in the papillary portion of the optic nerve. Histologically, drusen are amorphous bodies of a yellowish or whitish waxy material and may result from a developmental anomaly. Drusen may occur on the surface of the optic disc and be fairly easy to recognize. If the drusen are deeply buried in the optic papilla, recognition is very difficult. The authors review the classical picture of drusen of the optic nerve head and present criteria for the recognition of deeply hidden drusen of the papilla, based on a careful study of 9 cases.