Drusen are yellow deposits under the retina. They consist of lipids and fatty proteins. Drusen do not cause macular degeneration, but their presence increases the risk of this disease.
There are different types of drusen. “Hard” drusen are small, separated and far away from one another. Those types of drusen cannot cause long-term vision issues.
“Soft” drusen are large and close together. Their borders are not so clearly defined. This type of drusen increase the risk of AMD.
Drusen of the optic nerve
Drusen can show up in the optic nerve. They are made up of proteins and calcium salts and usually show up in both eyes. Unlike drusen connected to AMD, optic nerve drusen (also called optic disk drusen) are not related to aging and are also common in children.
Drusen show up naturally with age. It is understood that they are a part of a worsened function of the eye to remove waste products accumulated in ocular cells.
The exact connection between the degenerative disease of the macula and drusen is unclear. Scientists are not sure whether drusen cause AMD, or if AMD and drusen are caused by the same process. The appearance of soft drusen is a sign of AMD.
Most people with drusen have no symptoms. Often, in a routine eye exam, they can be discovered. Solid drusen are not a symptom of eye disease. A large number of soft drusen, however, is an early sign of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD symptoms include unclear and difficult vision or an empty or blurred spot in the middle of the vision field.
It is not needed to treat hard drusen. If your doctor discovers hard drusen, they might want to follow up and monitor them systematically to make sure that soft drusen do not develop.