Optic Disc Drusen (Pseudopapilledema) Treatment & Management

Updated: Sep 04, 2019
  • Author: Mitchell V Gossman, MD; Chief Editor: Hampton Roy, Sr, MD  more...
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Treatment

Medical Care

No treatment is needed for most causes of pseudopapilledema because they represent normal physiologic variants.

Diseases possibly associated with disc drusen may need treatment, such as subretinal neovascular membrane, central retinal vein occlusion, or ischemic optic neuropathy (largely to exclude giant cell arteritis in the appropriate age groups).

A minority of patients with disc drusen (16-22%) present with progressive visual loss. Field deterioration normally occurs over many years and is generally slow and unnoticed by patients. Dramatic field loss related to vascular complications, such as anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, can rarely occur. Unfortunately, no successful therapy is available at this time.

For patients who may suffer from glaucoma, it can be challenging to differentiate progressive glaucomatous field loss from field loss due to disc drusen. Estimation of the cup-to-disc ratio is also more challenging. [5]

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Surgical Care

No effective surgical treatment is available.

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