Optic Disc Drusen

[Steverobbo]

Hi has anyone had this? My son goes for his hospital referral tomorrow. I’m absolutely sick with worry. Optician referred him for a “raised nasal margin”. No other symptoms and just a routine referral. But I’m shocking with anything to do with my sons health. Thanks Steve

I have Optic Disc Drusen and so does my son (he is now 9).

Mine was found at a routine eye appointment and I was referred straight to an ophthalmic neurologist as obviously it can be a sign of something rather serious (MS or a brain tumour were mentioned). I got seen really quickly (pre covid) and they found out I had something congenital Drusen rather than the other sort, I was basically born with it (its quite unusual apparently) but no optician had picked it up before .Two years later my youngest son had his first eye exam and the optician looked rather worried then told me what she had seen, exactly the same as mine. He was referred as well and got seen and was diagnosed with the same as me. It has had zero impact on my life, I don't even wear glasses. DS2 does wear them but only for reading/computer etc (he is 9).

My son has this and his dad too it turns out. Never heard of it before we were rushed in after routine optician appointment. its crap when you're worried for them.

aapos.org/glossary/optic-nerve-drusen

I’m useless at links but I read this after I was diagnosed and found it quite useful, might help to ease your worries a bit.

Thanks everyone. My son Joe is 19, vision was perfect and no headaches or anything. He was given a routine referral which could take upto November. The optician said he wasn’t worried but because of a court case a few years ago where an optician got a diagnosis wrong, they tend to refer most people. It’s only because the incidence is about 1% of the population it seems quite rare and then I worry about the likelihood of it being something more sinister. Like a tumour. But his retina and discs all looked clear apart from this raised nasal margin. I have googled this every day non stop now for a month, it’s made me so anxious, not even worked through it. The referral letter said “raised nasal margin in right eye only, left eye clear and flat. Please refer to eye hospital for confirmation of Drusen? For future reference “ surely if he was worried it wouldn’t have been routine referral and if a tumour wouldn’t he have symptoms? Thanks

They basically like to rule out the nasty things first as obviously if it is that then it’s important to get it looked at ASAP. The neurologist I saw said he tends to get quite a lot of referrals which actually tend to be nothing as they need to be so careful but in my case my optic nerve has got Drusen but I was actually born with it. Only thing I’ve done is kept to the same optician because they have all my records and if not it causes them to panic if they see it and I have to explain all over again. I really hope it’s all ok. My son (the one who also has optic nerve drusen is also called Joe!

Thanks again for getting back to me! I always worry about Joe, it’s become a habit. The optometrist said as he’s in good health and good vision with no symptoms then he wasn’t concerned. But also mainly because it’s in one eye not two. As two eyes is something called papilledema, which can be a sign of tumour. Also I don’t think it’s counted as a swelling as it could just be drusen like you say. I just keep thinking drusen is so rare, especially in one eye. So what else could it be?

I have a same problem with my daughter. Blurred nasal margin in left eye. I’m waiting for hospital appointment. Did you find out what was it ?