[Vascular anomalies and complications of optic nerve drusen].
BACKGROUND
Drusen of the optic disc are associated with slowly progressive optic neuropathy, characterized by accumulation of acellular laminated concretions in the prelaminar portion of the optic nerve. Papillary hemorrhages and vascular shunts have been reported with disc drusen but their frequency and clinical significance is not well known.


METHODS
Retrospective study of fundus photographs of 116 patients with disc drusen referred to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, between 1965 and 1991.


RESULTS
Hemorrhages were found in 23 eyes from 16/116 (13.8%) patients. Most cases (68.8%, 11/16 cases) occurred in patients with buried drusen, and most hemorrhages were deeply located. Vascular shunts were present in 6.9% (8/116 cases), most frequently in patients with exposed drusen (6/8 cases), most being of the venous type (7/8 cases).


CONCLUSIONS
Vascular anomalies are not rare in disc drusen, as 20.7% (24/116 cases) of our patients presented either disc hemorrhages or shunt vessels. Their presence supports the hypothesis of the slowly progressive nature of disc drusen and the more advanced stage of optic neuropathy in such eyes.
Borruat
F X
FX
Hôpital Ophtalmique Jules Gonin, Lausanne.
Sanders
M D
MD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000098:blood supply; D015594:Optic Disk Drusen / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
Anomalies et complications vasculaires dans les drusen du nerf optique.