Abstract
Purpose: :
To examine the clinical presentation and visual field changes among Hispanic patients with optic disc drusen, a condition previously described almost exclusively in Caucasian patients.
Methods: :
An observational, retrospective review was made of 11 eyes of 7 consecutive Hispanic patients noted to have either visible or suspected buried optic disc drusen on routine exam. Complete ophthalmologic examination and automated Humphrey visual field testing were done on all eyes. Fundus autofluorescence and B-scan ultrasonography were performed as needed to verify cases of buried optic disc drusen.
Results: :
Four male and three female Hispanic patients were studied. The mean age was 47 years. All 11 eyes had a best-corrected visual acuity of 20/30 or better. One patient (14%) had a detectable afferent pupillary defect. Seven (64%) of the 11 eyes had visible optic disc drusen on ophthalmoscopy. The remaining 4 eyes (36%) required autofluorescence or ultrasonography to confirm the presence of buried optic disc drusen. Nine (82%) of the 11 eyes had visual field defects, with an average Mean Deviation = - 10.40 dB. The field defects were as follows: Four eyes (44%) had arcuate nerve fiber bundle defects; Three (33%) had nasal step defects; One (11%) had both nasal step and arcuate nerve fiber defects; One (11%) had generalized constriction; No eyes (0%) had enlargement of the blind spot.
Conclusions: :
Among 11 eyes of Hispanic patients with optic disc drusen, all had good visual acuity. 64% of drusen were visible ophthalmoscopically. 82% of eyes had visual field defects, with arcuate nerve fiber bundle defects being the most commonly represented. These findings are consistent with historical data on the clinical presentation of optic disc drusen among Caucasian patients. In the future, larger case-control studies may more convincingly show similarities in the clinical presentation of optic disc drusen among these two patient populations.
Keywords: optic disc • visual fields • drusen